From Rodgers to Red Rifle: The 2024 NFL Preview

Friend of the podcast Chris Marcum joins Jagbags for a CONTENTIOUS discussion of the current state of the WNBA, reasons for its explosion in popularity, and the influx of rookies making an impact on the league. Chris shares his experience of traveling to Indianapolis for a Fever game. We argue Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese vociferously! Who will win the WNBA championship this year? What team could surprise? And what should the league do to maintain and grow its positive momentum? Tune in for all hoops!

Len and Beave do another SPEED RECAP for you. Len is on the cusp of entering the Top Ten of his all-time favorite albums. They go through five more albums, which leads to discussion of the dean of American music critic Robert Christgau's word choices of "fatuous" and "middling". The NFL season kicks off with a Bears and Chiefs win and a terrible Browns loss. MLB winds down as the Guardians sweep the Sox (who have lost 27 of their last 28 home games). Len watches Kyle Hendricks in twilight, as he faces the Dodgers. TUNE IN FOR ELECTRIC DISCUSSION!

NFL Expert Matt Beyer rejoins the podcast to talk through the 2024 NFL season, with particular attention paid to the Browns, Bears and the defending champion Chiefs. Can the Ravens or 49ers break through? Who will be the surprise team of the season? Who will win MVP? Why do the guys make so many Aaron Rodgers/Egypt jokes? And when will Carolina quit messing around and turn over the keys to future Hall of Famer Red Rifle? TUNE IN FOR FOOTBALL EXPERTISE!

Recap action is back and we have sports, music and TV favorites for you! Beave recommends "Dark Winds", available on Netflix. Len recommends "Hum", the new novle by Helen Phillips. Guardians continue to get pushed to the brink, then fight back. Cubs make a bid for the postseason. Sox make a bid for the wrong kind of baseball immortality. The Chicago Sky endure a losing streak at the worst possible time. Beave reviews the new Pearl Jam LP. And Len's Favorite 500 continues the countdown! JAGBAGS!

On the newest Jagbags, Beave and Len go deep into the music of Pink Floyd as the newest Facebook bracket kicks off. Beave correctly guesses all top seeds and then collapses from joy. They talk the tragic tale of band founder Syd Barrett, and how Floyd progressed from his departure to the triumph of "Dark Side of the Moon", one of the best selling albums in music history. They go through their five favorite Floyd albums and then their 45-minute playlists (which you can access on Spotify). Tune in and Breathe! Breathe in the Air!

Although the latest recap episode features MLB, WNBA recaps, plus "I Recommend", Beave's New Album Review, and Len's Favorite 500 Albums, we spend the majority of time arguing The Boys, and ranking the main characters in show from worst to first. Which characters are strongest? The weakest? Who is the moral center? Who has the most interesting arc? And which character is your favorite and least favorite? We talk them all in the latest recap. TUNE IN!

Meryl Streep is widely regarded as the finest living actor, so we go through her movies and rate her performances. She has the most Oscar nominations of all time (23). We go through each nominated performance and rate her films. We also go through her lesser known works, discussing her more underrated roles that perhaps deserve more attention. In particular, we go through her 70s and 80s films. Tune in for some high-fivin' fun!

We talk the new Pete Rose documentary, called "Charlie Hustle", on Max. Should he be in the Hall of Fame? We also talk MLB, as the Guardians wobble on their way to September, while the Cubs look to the future. Grady Sizemore tries to revitalize the White Sox. The WNBA starts back up with a couple of Sky losses. Len reviews hidden top 40 hits, and Beave reviews the new album by Ghost Funk Orchestra. And Len rockets to the #1 spot for his all-time Favorite 500 Albums. Which album would you pick for Len's all-time favorite? JAGBAGS!

JagCore Professor of Jams Scott OKen is back to talk one of the all-time best bands you've never heard of: Badfinger. Known mainly for hits such as "Come and Get It", "No Matter What", and "Baby Blue", the story of this UK-based band is incredibly compelling (and tragic). We talk about Badfinger's deep connection with the Beatles, and how the band is named for the working title of a Beatles song. We dive into their first four albums, which are as good as any classic rock records from the early 70s. And we discuss their place in the Pantheon as well as the history of "power pop". And did you know that Harry Nilsson's "Without You" was written by Badfinger? Tune in for ultimate education!

In the newest episode of "Jagbags" we do a COMPLETE SPEED THROUGH and recap the week that was in MLB and the closing of the 2024 Summer Olympics. We also talk five of Len's all-time favorite 500 albums, and Len continues to chide Beave for his opinion of "Songs in the Key of Life". And that's it! Quickest recap ever! JAGBAGS!