The Big Chill Podcast

New season, same city.

Season 7 gets underway with a quick catch-up on what we missed over the break.
Eddie shares his thoughts on the Paris 2024 Olympic experience and Frank has some issues with his trips to Europe. The Premier League is back, Eddie doesn't think Arsenal will be serious challengers for the title. 
Plus climbable mountains, the problems with Horizon: An American Saga, and the Brandon Aiyuk situation in San Francisco.

Lists, Lists, and more Lists

ESPN has released their list of the top 100 athletes of the 21st Century and we've got some problems with it. Plus Frank's hockey collapse, House of the Dragon mid-season review, and the career of Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Euro 2024 Final Recap and Southgate Resignation

England suffer another defeat in a European Championships final, but what does the result mean for the future of English and Spanish football? Will this be a platform for Spain and their young core and can England bounce back?
Gareth Southgate's resignation brings an end to a successful period for English football, but what will the Southgate legacy be and who should be the next England manager from a shortlist that currently includes Eddie Howe, Graham Potter, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Frank Lampard, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Plus Alcaraz's dominating performance against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, an unusual MLB All-Star game, and an improving second season of House of the Dragon.

Euro 2024 Quaterfinals Recap and Semfinal Preview

Reaction to the quarterfinal round of Euro 2024 that saw 3 of the 4 matches go to extra-time. Were France lucky to get past Portugal and are critics being too hard on Ronaldo? England's innovative approach to penalties saw them overcome Southgate's lack of tactical sophistication against Switzerland. Spain beat Germany in the tie of the round, but the Netherlands proved to be the most convincing winners against Turkey.
Can England improve enough to beat an in-form Netherlands side and will Spain prove to be too much for a France team that have still yet to score from open play?
Plus a resurgence in American men's tennis at Wimbledon as Djokovic and Alcaraz continue to impress. Swiatek's early-exit means that the women's singles at Wimbledon looks more open than ever. And a 4th of July celebration gone wrong leads to some interesting questions.

Euro 2024 Quarterfinal Preview

Preview and predictions for every match from the quarterfinals of Euro 2024. Will Germany make home advantage count against Spain? Can France find their attacking rhythm against Portugal? Will Gareth Southgate make changes ahead of England's match against Switzerland? And why the Netherlands should prove too strong for Turkey.
Plus the most popular fast food chains in the USA, the disappointing Nathan's hotdog eating contest, and Wendy's inflation in Biden's America.

Bellingham's Beautiful Bicycle

Eddie's stay in hospital has disrupted our podcast production, but not our viewing of the Euros. Full reaction to the last 16 of Euro 2024 as Bellingham's moment of brilliance sees England scrape past Slovakia. But can Southgate get England to improve?
Plus Portugal escape embarrassment against Slovenia, France fail to impress against Belgium, Italy's disastrous performance against Switzerland, Turkey's defensive heroics against Austria, and convincing wins for Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Grealish Gets to Party Again

Manchester City wrapped up their 4th consecutive title on a fairly undramatic final day of the Premier League season. But does the possibility of Pep Guardiola leaving give hope to Arsenal, Liverpool, and the rest of the chasers? And at what point will Jack Grealish need to party less and play more?
Plus, reaction to Rashford and Henderson missing out on the Euro 2024 England squad, Xander Schaufelle winning the PGA Championship, Oleksander Usyk defeating Tyson Fury to become the unified heavyweight champion of the world, and the latest NBA and NHL playoff rounds.

Premier League Final Day Showdown

The Premier League title race goes down to the wire as Manchester City need a win against West Ham to win their 4th title in a row. We go over all of the permutations heading into the final day of the 23/24 Premier League season.
Can Arsenal win their first title in two decades? Will Luton pull off the impossible and overturn a 12-goal deficit? Plus, Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech, guardian helmets in the NFL, NBA playoff drama, and the best shows on TV.

NFL Draft Recap and Shogun Finale

We react to the major storylines from the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Was Daniel Jones the biggest winner of the night after the New York Giants selected Malik Nabers? Will there be a quarterback competition in Atlanta between Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr? And are the Chicago Bears now primed to make a run at the NFC North with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze.
Plus Manchester City lay down a marker with their 4-0 win against Brighton, European domination in the NBA Playoffs, and did the Shogun series finale live up to the high standards of the first season?

Down Goes Liverpool

Liverpool's defeat to Everton in the Merseyside Derby appears to have made it a two-horse race in the Premier League. Will either Manchester City or Arsenal slip up on their run-in? And why we no longer need VAR after a difficult weekend for officiating in the FA Cup and Premier League.
In college football, was the NCAA right to hand Reggie Bush back his Heisman Trophy, and what does OJ Simpson's legacy say about our ability to separate the art from the artists?
Plus, Scottie Scheffler has been dominant in recent months, but Eddie explains why he's nowhere near to approaching peak-era Tiger Woods and does the PGA's equity payout get close to matching what LIV Golf is offering players.

Hockey in Utah, Champions League upsets, and stadium food

Frank reacts to the disappointing news that Arizona will be losing its NHL team, but what is the best name for the new NHL franchise in Utah?
The Champions League served up a few surprises as Real Madrid knocked out Manchester City, PSG overcame Barcelona, Arsenal lost to Bayern Munich, and Dortmund beat Atletico Madrid in a thriller. But was Pep Guardiola to blame for City's exit?
Plus, US sports face another betting scandal, after the Shohei Ohtani revelations rocked the MLB, Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA following unusual betting patterns.

Scheffler and City dominate

Are Manchester City now on course to win their 4th Premier League title in a row or can Liverpool or Arsenal recover following their slip-ups at the weekend? Plus the boring brilliance of Scottie Scheffler after he continued his winning streak at Augusta to win the Masters.
 

March Madness and the Premier League Title Race

Have Liverpool blown their chances by slipping up in the Premier League title race? Eddie explains why he find the Klopp 'legendary' discussion to be a bit too much, too soon. In Europe, Manchester City and Arsenal find themselves in close ties in the Champions League Quarterfinals, but how is this season impacting the reputations of Bellingham, Foden, and Saka?
UConn go back-to-back in men's college basketball and Caitlin Clark's collegiate career draws to a close as Iowa come up short against South Carolina in March Madness.
 

City are inevitable, or are they?

Do Arsenal deserve criticism for their negative tactics in the draw against Manchester City? And are City better without Haaland? The Premier League title race looks set to go down to the wire as Liverpool edge ahead.
Plus reaction to an unpredictable March Madness and a sense of inevitability surrounding UConn and Harry Kane looks set to have a trophyless first season at Bayern Munich.
Finally, what chances does Louis Rees-Zammit have of making an impact in the NFL after signing a 3-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs? 

Enhanced Games and Instant Classics

The Enhanced Games are causing controversy as they build towards launching a PED-fueled rival to the Olympics, but is there a reason to legalize steroids?
Reaction to Manchester United and Liverpool serving up an instant classic in the FA Cup and Eddie shares his thoughts on whether Ben White's refusal to make himself available for England should end his international career.
Plus some quick March Madness predictions, the Chicago Bears decide to trade away Justin Fields as the Pittsburgh Steelers add to their options at quarterback, what is an acceptable score for a casual bowler, and did Frank think that Dune was all that it was cracked up to be? 

The Oscars, Premier League Title Race, and NFL Free Agency.

Oppenheimer dominated the 2024 Oscars, but Eddie explains why he was underwhelmed by Dune: Part Two. The Premier League title race is fascinatingly poised heading into the international break, but Manchester City deserve to be favorites after Arsenal and Liverpool's recent good form.
Plus reaction to the early NFL free agency signings. Including Saquon Barkley heading to the Eagles, Kirk Cousins signing for the Atlanta Falcons, and the Cleveland Browns opting for a new backup quarterback.