Student of the Game

In Defense of Steven Gerrard

People love a scapegoat. In the wake of Liverpool's failed title chase in 2013-14, many fans and pundits pointed to their captain's infamous gaffe in their match against Chelsea as the reason for their demise. He's been blamed nearly exclusively ever since, by both friend and enemy alike. History and psychology, however, would recommend against that approach. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support [https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support]

It Shouldn't Have Counted: The Bush Push

Sometimes thing happen in sports that look highly questionable, and sometimes those things happen at the most pivotal moment possible. In Fall 2005, Matt Leinart scored a game-winning touchdown that initially seemed fine, but upon further review, it became clear that he'd gotten some significant (and at the time illegal) help. In this new segment, we look at how and why calls like this don't get made, and how it impacts the way the view sports. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support [https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support]

Team Building Exercise: The 2011 Phillies' Four Aces

From 2008 to 2011, the Phillies enjoyed one of the most fruitful periods in their franchise's history, and their pitching staff was largely responsible. In this Team Building Exercise, we look back at how the Phillies built their dominant rotation, and how the famed "Four Aces" came together for a memorably dominant 2011 season. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support [https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support]

The Curious Case of Aymeric Laporte

Athletic Bilbao has maintained a Basque-only policy for recruitment for decades. That stance, however, got pushed to its limits when the club wanted to sign French (read: not Basque) starlet Aymeric Laporte.  This episode of SotG explores the baffling, ambiguous dance that Laporte and the policy have done around each other over the years, and what it can tell us about what it really means to be "from" somewhere. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support [https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support]

S1E2 - "You Only Sing When You're Winning"

This episode will make you want to twist and shout for sure. In an SotG first, we venture across the pond to talk to Dr. Simon Warner about music, soccer, and the deepest roots of England's biggest rivalry. And we provide a theory of how with music, no matter how deep the divide between fanbases, ultimately, we can work it out (get it?). Dr. Warner's Paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14660970.2011.530468 YouTube videos incorporated: Luis Suarez Your Teeth are Offside - Misha Cherchinyan Harry Kane Chant - The12thMan "You only sing when you're winning" - BVB Borussia Dortmund Manchester City CL 2012 Fans - Borrusen.TV --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app [https://anchor.fm/app]Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support [https://anchor.fm/student-of-the-game2/support]