Posts

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Sports Protests in the Wake of Uvalde and Buffalo

Steve Kerr

Tarlin and Mike react to the powerful moments from sports leaders in response to the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. We listen to what Steve Kerr said and talk about what Gabe Kapler did as coaches and leaders of their teams respond publicly to the unthinkable events.

Then we run it back to the history of sports protests and activism ranging from Kaepernick, to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, to the leading role of the WNBA, the Brittney Griner situation, and Muhammad Ali’s historic protest of the Vietnam War, among others, as we try to make sense of the senseless. And there’s plenty of reference to famous soundbites from Marshawn Lynch, Rasheed Wallace, and Allen Iverson along the way to keep things lighter.

What lessons, if any, can we learn from all of this? How can we use sports narratives as tools to work through our response to the unthinkable? And what does this tell us about leadership and acts of conscience in these challenging times? We cover all of this and more on our latest episode. Listen in and enjoy.

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Lessons Learned from the 2022 NBA Season

NBA

Tarlin and Mike are back, this time just ahead of the NBA Finals where two teams will square off for all the marbles. We look for lessons learned from the NBA Season, the end-of-year awards, and what we’ve seen so far in the Playoffs.

We begin by talking about Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Tarlin runs it back to The Glove as we recognize the energy and other intangibles he brings to the Celtics. Mike explains why he likes the Celtics to take it all as we acknowledge what Ime Udoka, Brad Stevens, and a cohesive, defensively-minded unit from Boston.

From there, we talk Luka and what Jason Kidd and team are doing in Dallas, even though we don’t see them getting past Steph and the Ws. Tarlin fights back the tears as we look back at the disappointing performance of so-called Super Teams like the Lakers, Nets, and Sixers.

We talk about the Suns’ mysterious and embarrassing disappearance in Game 7 at home versus Dallas. We may never know what happened but it doesn’t keep us from speculating.

Tarlin wraps us up with our note of support for the Buffalo community, looking for inspiration from the many successes of Black Coaches in the NBA.

Thanks for listening. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more incredible lessons learned from sports.

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When’s the Right Time for an Athlete to Hang It Up?

Jim Brown

Get your red wine bath ready, Tarlin and Mike are back after a SXSW panel, a Good Morning America appearance, and a bout of Covid-19(!) to talk about the age-old question of what’s the right way to hang it up at the end of a long and successful sports career. Don’t call it a comeback, we’ve been here for (nearly two!) years and we’re not planning to retire any time soon.

We begin with Tarlin recounting conversations with his Dad about Tiger Woods playing past his prime and how he should’ve retired on top like Jim Brown. From there, we span multiple sports looking for heroes who have faced the end of their playing careers in various ways. What can we learn from Barry Sanders or Andrew Luck, who left their sports early? What can we learn from Shaq or Patrick Ewing or others who stuck around longer as their physical abilities began to fade? And what about GOATs who retired and then unretired like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Tom Brady? Plus we show our range by covering Shaun White, Jimmy Connors, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams, Sue Bird and more. We even talk Carl Lewis both as a track star and as a National Anthem singer in a free-flowing romp through the greener pastures of sports retirement. Don’t miss it!

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.com for more lessons learned from sports.

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SXSW Running It Back Highlights Show

SXSWEDU

In a special bonus episode, we bring you highlights from Mike and Tarlin’s live panel in Austin at the SXSW EDU conference. We’re joined by Terri Givens and Dan Harrison in an exploration of storytelling, sports as a microcosm of the broader world, and the mythic elements of sports in our culture. We focus on recent conversations about the Rooney Rule and the Flores Suit before showcasing some of our favorite moments on the podcast.

We remember how this all got started with highlights from our very first episode on the Last Dance Bulls, before sharing moments from our Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Simone Biles, and Tiger Woods episodes before we wrap. We also reference our episodes on Scottie Pippen and Naomi Osaka in a free-ranging conversation that weaves together a lot of what we’ve been talking about over the past two years.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more Lessons Learned from Sports.

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NBA All-Star Escapism and the NBA Top 75

All Star Weekend

Tarlin and Mike are back, talking solace in basketball this time on the heels of the NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland. We reminisce over All-Star Weekends from times gone by, including 1988 and 1992 before fast-forwarding back to the present to talk about a dismal Slam Dunk Contest, the 3 Point Shooting Contest, and the display put on by Stephen Curry during the actual All-Star Game on Sunday. In front of most of the 76 Greatest Players of all time and despite those that couldn’t make it, Steph showed to be the star among stars. And the NBA is being transformed in the process.

We look for lessons in the Top 75 and in ESPN’s as the wet jump shot may be replacing the stunning dunk as the signature move in the NBA today. We discuss all of this, riff on variations of the screenplay for Space Jam 3, and even propose five modern players on the Mount Rushmore of the modern game. Listen in. You might hear some surprises.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more lessons learned from Sports.

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The Flores Suit Pre/Post Super Bowl Hangover Edition

Brian Flores

Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer are back to talk about the Flores Suit against the NFL and to follow up on our previous conversations about the shortage of Black Head Coaches in the League. Tarlin almost gets irate but keeps it on a simmer as we revisit questions about why Eric Bieniemy (of The State), Byron Leftwich, and Brian Flores still don’t have head coaching jobs even as Lovie Smith and Mike McDaniel have gotten the nod since our last episode.

What can we learn from the Flores suit and the response to it? How does this connect back to Curt Flood and Free Agency in Major League Baseball? And what behind-the-scenes references to Ben Simmons and James Harden is Mike using to “motivate” Tarlin before we start taping?

We cover all of this even and even share a few tricks of the trade as we start to pivot towards the NBA now that we’re shaking off our NFL Hangovers on our latest search for lessons from the sports stories that are capturing the global imagination.

If you like what you’re hearing, write us a review, subscribe where you get your pods, and visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more.

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The NFL’s Black Head Coach Problem

Mike Tomlin

As of the release of this episode, Mike Tomlin is the lone Black Head Coach remaining in the NFL. Tarlin and Mike run it back to our ongoing conversation about the Rooney Rule and soft affirmative action in the NFL referencing Tomlin, Art Shell, and Jim Caldwell. We talk Eric Bieniemy and Byron Leftwich. We reminisce and look for lessons from the careers and legacies of Tony Dungy and Bill Belichick. And ultimately, we celebrate Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s recent hiring as GM of the Minnesota Vikings.

Then Tarlin talks about the work of Guy Primus and The Board Challenge to effect the long, slow turnaround of institutions like the NFL. We admit that we can’t quit the NFL even though we know we probably should as we say goodbye to a friend of the show and talk about how we can give black head coaches more chances than they’re getting to turn the institution of the NFL around.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more lessons learned from sports.

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Antonio Brown’s Walkoff, The NFL and TMZ Culture

Antonio Brown

Tarlin and Mike are back to find lessons learned from sports. This time we look at the spectacle surrounding Antonio Brown’s exit from the Tampa Bay Bucs game versus the New York Jets during the 3rd quarter of the game last weekend.

Why did Tarlin not want to cover the AB story? How does this situation compare to the broader challenges of working with divas and other selfish personalities on teams and in the workplace? What must it have been like to be Bruce Arians trying to talk to AB while recovering from Covid and a partially torn Achilles? And how might this relate to Mike Tomlin and lessons from other diva wide receivers like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Chad Ocho Cinco over the years?

We cover all of this while kicking off 2022 with our inimitable style. Thank you for listening.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you pod. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing lessons learned from sports.

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Running It Back 2021 Year in Review

2021

Tarlin Ray and Mike Palmer are back to look for lessons learned from a year’s worth of podcast episodes in 2021. We think back on the 20 episodes we released and break down the topics, themes, and human stories that made for an incredible year of programming.

Whether it’s Simone Biles, the Rooney Rule, Sports Parenting, or Kyrie and the Vaccine, we talk through our conversations about what bubbled up in the collective consciousness from the world of sports and try to make sense of it all while having some fun along the way.

We thank each other and most importantly our listeners as we begin to look ahead to build on what’s now a strong foundation heading into 2022. Thanks to everyone who is listening and supporting us. We couldn’t have gotten here without you!

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing lessons learned from sports.

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Name, Image, Likeness, and Ed O’Bannon vs the NCAA

Ed O'Bannon

Tarlin and Mike return to talk about the recent changes to the NCAA regulations about college players’ ability to monetize their Name, Image, and Likenesses. We run it back to the case of Ed O’Bannon who was the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA on violation of antitrust regulations based on the use of his image in an EA Sports Video Game in 2009.

In addition to Easy Ed, we reflect on what we’ve seen since the temporary measure was put in place by the NCAA in July as we think about what this means for college athletes, the NCAA, and elitist notions of amateurism. We also talk Azzi Fudd, brainstorm ideas for Space Jam 3, recall Gavin Newsome’s appearance on The Shop with LeBron James and much more.

It’s a fun romp through a significant change to college sports that is opening up opportunities for players and also for sports like women’s volleyball and other women’s sports that may not have traditionally garnered broader support and attention.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.com for more amazing lessons learned from sports.