In a special bonus episode, Mike and Tarlin share their thoughts about the recent PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger. We reflect on what has transpired since we first talked about LIV and Sportswashing with the recent surprise merger between rival leagues. How does this connect to preview splits and mergers? How does it connect to Voldemort and the USFL? And as we gear up for the US Open which is happening on Tarlin’s home golf course, why does this episode earn an Explicit rating? Listen in to find out all of this and more.
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Tarlin and Mike are back for our 54th episode of Running It Back. We’re taking the occasion to dig into LIV Golf, Sportswashing, and the disruption we’re seeing to the staid traditions of PGA Golf. What can we learn from golfers choosing to go to a new league backed by Saudi money with big purses, fewer holes, and what we hear are fantastic amenities?
How will this affect the product we consume as sports watchers? What does this mean for the players? And what are the implications of the innovation, intrigue, and other soap opera-like that are being infused into an older and more conservative sport? Don’t miss this wide-ranging, relevant, and thought-provoking conversation that is in fact our 54th episode of Running It Back.
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!
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Tarlin and Mike return again. This time to run it back to the history of dominant sports dads who built cultures and drew fire as their offspring rose to unprecedented heights in the sports world. We begin by looking at the story of LeVar Ball who is attempting to build a family business in the NBA with Lonzo Ball and likely 2021 Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball already thriving. From there, we run it back to the narratives around Earl Woods raising Tiger Woods and Richard Dove Williams Jr raising Venus and Serena Williams.
What do these stories have in common and what lessons can we learn about parenting, leadership, and family? We explore all of this and also look at the frequently unsung roles of the mothers in these sports families. Are we really talking about Co-CEOs as the key to building a sports legend? How are these alpha Dads reminiscent of Steve Jobs? And is Kultida Woods truly the Tiger Mom of all Tiger Moms?
Listen in to find out. And be sure to subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more great shows like this!
We run it back to Tiger Woods’ heroic return to greatness culminating in his remarkable win in the 2019 Masters Tournament. Tarlin shares his personal connection to Tiger over the years as we talk about his impact on sports and culture through the years. What began with his epic win at the 1998 Masters started a run of unequaled dominance until things took a turn in 2009 that required a different kind of excellence and mettle that ultimately led to triumph in 2019 and now is once again fraught in light of his recent car accident in February of 2021.
Tarlin concludes with a heartfelt Ode to Tiger that you won’t want to miss.
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Tarlin and Mike connect to talk about The Masters in November, Klay Thompson’s achilles injury, and the NBA Draft/Free Agency period that is almost too 24/7 News cycle for any of us to take.
