Author: Running It Back

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Serena the GOAT

On the heels of Naomi Osaka’s victory in the 2021 Australian Open, Tarlin and Mike spend some time reflecting on the legend and the legacy of Serena Williams. What lessons can be learned from Serena’s career? How does she stack up versus other greats in Women’s Tennis and against other athletes overall?

We talk about her broader cultural impact beyond the court and conclude that Serena belongs on our Mount Rushmore ahead of Tom Brady, Martina Navritalova, and more.

If you like what you’re hearing, check us out at RunningItBack.fm and subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts.

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The Rooney Rule and Minority Head Coaches in the NFL

Tarlin and Mike are back to kick off 2021 with a dive into the history and relevance of the “Rooney Rule” which was established in 2003 to ensure that diverse candidates got interviews for open Head Coaching positions. We refer to the research of CC Dubois from the 2017 MIT Sloan Conference where she established a 19-21% positive impact on the diversity of NFL Coaching hires due to the Rooney Rule.

Recent trends in Head Coaching and GM hires in the NFL have brought this back into focus as we now have reverted close to 2003 levels with top Offensive Coordinators like Eric Bienemy and Byron Leftwich somehow being passed over for recent head coach openings. Do “soft” affirmative action practice like the Rooney Rule work? What can we learn from Tony Dungy’s example? What lessons can we apply to the broader world of work and diversity, equity, and inclusion based on what we’re seeing in the NFL?

We explore all of this and touch on the related challenges around the perception of black quarterbacks over the years on our latest episode.

If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at RunningItBack.fm and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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Running It Back 2020 Year In Review

Mike and Tarlin look back on the year that was 2020 in this special wrap-up edition of Running It Back. We look back at our Origin Story of launching the show amid the tumult of the first wave of the pandemic in the US before diving into a rundown of the most downloaded shows since we launched in the Fall.

What’s our most downloaded show so far and what have will we take with us into 2021 and beyond? Hear our thoughts and aspirations as we reflect on an incredible run of shows about lessons learned from sports as we look ahead to our next run of shows heading into 2021!

Thanks so much for listening. If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at runningitback.fm and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Here’s to an amazing New Year!

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The QB Controversy 2021 NFL Playoffs Edition

Tarlin and Mike dive back into the NFL this episode by examining the QB situations heading into the 2021 NFL Playoffs. Did Aaron Rodgers need the motivation of a potential QB Controversy to lead the Packers in what may be an MVP season? How does the QB controversy between Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick remind us of famous QB1 vs QB1A controversies from back in the day?

We talk about all of this and sort out who gets to hold the clipboard on our latest episode of Running It Back!

If you like what you’re hearing, follow us at https://runningitback.fm and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Mike Tyson’s Return and George Foreman’s Comeback

We talk about the “Sweet Science” of boxing comebacks triggered by the recent Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr match. How does Tyson’s comeback hearken back to George Foreman’s reinvention and brief reascension to claim the heavyweight title in the 1990s? In what ways are Tyson and Foreman similar? How does this tie to The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali? And are there lessons we can learn from all of this? We answer all of these questions and even a few more on today’s show. Listen in and enjoy.

And check us out at RunningItBack.fm and wherever you get your podcasts.

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The World Series Dodgers and “5-Tool Player” Edition

Tarlin and Mike show some range on this episode, expanding beyond basketball to run it back through World Series and baseball seasons past as we celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ historic run to the championship in this very strange Major League Baseball season. And while it was oddly fitting that their celebration was marred by the on-field appearance of Justin Turner who had recently tested positive for Covid-19, we dig in further to Mookie Betts and Corey Seager as two modern-day examples of so-called “5-Tool Players.”

What can we learn from the concept of a 5-tool player who can hit for average, hit for power, run the bases, defend their position, and have a great arm? How does this relate to the concept of an “athlete hire?” What’s the sixth tool that Mike claims Mookie Betts possesses and perhaps Mike Trout lacks? Who are the top 4 Mookies of all time? And which franchises and fan bases are most deserving to end their longstanding championship droughts? Our resident Mets fan makes his case for Uncle Steve Cohen helping the World Series return to Flushing, Queens.

All this and more on the latest episode of Running It Back!

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Jordan’s “Flu Game”, The Jazz, and Reggie Miller

In the final installment of our miniseries about The Last Dance miniseries, Tarlin and Mike break down the final two episodes of The Last Dance for lessons learned as well as a few healthy doses of 1990s nostalgia.

Here we recap the Michael Jordan-led 1990s Bulls’ final two NBA Championship runs versus Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers and the Stockton-Malone Utah Jazz. We get into Jordan’s dubious portrayal of the so-called “Flu Game” and Mike tries to protect the honor of the pizzerias of Salt Lake City. What lessons can we learn from Jordan’s superteam as we think through the keys to leadership, teamwork, and winning in these tumultuous times.

We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed putting this together. Here’s to us keeping on Running It Back!

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Jordan’s Baseball Years, The Glove and the Sonics, and the Bulls’ Return to Dominance

We run it back again to our roots in the Spring of 2020 when Tarlin and Mike were regrouping after the premiere of each episode of The Last Dance to break it down and look for lessons learned from each episode. We also indulged in some serious 90s nostalgia along the way.

In today’s show, we talk through Jordan’s stint at baseball, his return to Scottie’s Bulls, and the beginning of their second Threepeat in a classic NBA Finals matchup against Gary “The Glove” Payton and Shawn “Manchild” Kemp of the Seattle Supersonics.

We hope you enjoy. And stay tuned for our final wrapup show on The Last Dance slated to drop in the next few days!

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The Dream Team, Toni Kukoc, and Scottie’s Sitout

Once again, we run it back to Spring of 2020 in the midst of the first wave of COVID-19 when Mike and Tarlin began this crazy ride by analyzing episodes of The Last Dance for 1990s nostalgia along with some lessons learned for today’s day and age.

This episode covers episodes 5 and 6 of the 10 part docuseries called The Last Dance. We talk about Michael’s emergency as the alpha among alphas on The Dream Team, explore the Toni Kukoc narratives, and try to make sense of Scottie Pippen’s memorable choice to sit out the final 1.8 seconds of a pivotal playoff game between the Bulls and the Knicks in 1994.

There’s a lot to dig into and we hope you enjoy a glimpse into how Running It Back came into being. Thanks as always for listening.