Episodes
All good things come to an end! On this series finale episode of Takeline, Jason is joined by three of his rotating co hosts, Zach Harper (The Athletic) Jordan Ligons (Spinsters podcast) and Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football), to offer one last round of hot takes on the sports world. Then, super producers Zuri Irvin and Ryan Wallerson join the fray for one last Take Survivor.
Published 11/15/22
Published 11/15/22
What a sports weekend! The World Series ended with a Houston Astros victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in six games and the Major League Soccer season ended with Los Angeles Football Club’s first championship. Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football) returns this week, alongside guests Will Kuntz (LAFC asst. general manager) and MLB.com’s Will Leitch, who join to take us into the MLB and MLS championships.
Published 11/08/22
Jason Concepcion joins special guest Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football), alongside The Athletic's Fred Katz and Zach Berman. Fred Katz, Knicks beat reporter, checks in to explain why the team is moving both backwards and forwards. Zach Berman, Eagles beat reporter, joins the show with a temperature check on the Philadelphia Eagles and their chances of a perfect. Jason and Jamel discuss Kyrie Irving and how to combat conspiracy theories.
Published 11/01/22
Welcome to a NBA and Athletic heavy edition of Takeline. Jason Concepcion and the great Zach Harper, NBA insider extraordinaire for the Athletic, dissect the early season struggles of the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, then Zach’s fellow NBA Insider at the Athletic John Hollinger joins the episode to share his thoughts on the first week of the NBA season and major storylines for the 2022 NBA campaign.
Published 10/25/22
It's a soccer themed episode of Takeline this week. Kellyn Acosta, midfielder for Los Angeles Football Club and United Stated Men’s National Team, comes on Takeline to discuss LAFC’s regular season success, preview the MLS playoffs and look forward to the World Cup. Then, we’re joined by Wall Street Journalists Josh Robinson and John Clegg, the co-authors of the new book "Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game," a deep dive into the careers of the...
Published 10/18/22
This fall, when the eyes of the world turn towards Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a shadow looms over the tournament, which is one of the most watched events in the world. The sports landscape being co-opted for geo-political and corporate gain is nothing new, but this year's iteration of football's biggest competition may be the most expensive example to date. Pod Save the World’s Tommy Vietor and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers join forces to unravel the riddle of how to enjoy the game...
Published 10/15/22
Hello and welcome back to Takeline! Jason Concepcion and Jamel Johnson (Air Buds and Sorry We Love Football podcasts), along with producers Ryan Wallerson And Zuri Irvin, discuss the events of MLB Wild Card weekend and week 10 of the English Premier League. Then Anthony Slater, Golden State Warriors insider for the Athletic, takes the duo through the events and fallout of last week's altercation between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green.
Published 10/11/22
Hello, and welcome back to Takeline! Jason Concepcion is flying solo this week, but has got a great show lined up for you that spans the sports spectrum from football (soccer) to football (NFL) with some NBA in between. Jake Fischer, Senior NBA Reporter for Yahoo Sports, will joins the pod to discuss the latest transactions and storylines around the association as the NBA preseason picks up. Then Jason reunites with his old coworker Kevin Clark, the Ringer’s senior NFL writer, to discuss the...
Published 10/04/22
Alongside host Jason Concepcion, comedian and podcaster Jamel Johnson (Air Buds, Sorry We Love Football) joins the show to discuss the fracas from this year's NBA Media Day. Later, NBA staff writer Jared Weiss (The Athletic) joins the show to help unpack situation between now suspended Celtics head coach Ime Udoka. The team held a press conference to announce Udoka’s suspension Friday. Finally, senior NFL reporter Kalyn Kahler (The Athletic) hops on to recap Week 3 of the NFL season.
Published 09/27/22
On this week's Takeline, Jason Concepcion is back and refreshed from vacation and excited to be back at the helm of the show. Tania Ganguli, NBA reporter for The New York Times joins to discuss the investigation into and suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, Anna Wolfe, of Mississippi Today, shares her incredible reporting on former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, who attempted to shepherd a proposal to use welfare funds on the construction of a new volleyball stadium for retired NFL...
Published 09/20/22
Welcome to another episode of Takeline! On this week's podcast, Jordan Ligons and Jamel Johnson hold the fort down for Jason Concepcion as he continues to enjoy some well-deserved R&R. The duo discuss the WNBA Finals match up between the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun. Then, Ben Rothenberg of Racquet Magazine helps recount events of the U.S. Open, which came to a close on Sunday and finally, and the show wraps up with a fantasy football discussion with Chris Towers of CBS Sports.
Published 09/13/22
Welcome to a special post Labor Day edition of Takeline. Jamel Johnson, host of the "Air Buds" and "Sorry We Love Football" podcasts, and Zach Harper of the Athletic host this week's episode while Jason Concepcion enjoys a well deserved week off.  The Donovan Mitchell Saga ended with the Utah Jazz trading the Spyda to the Cleveland instead of the New York Knicks as widely expected, and Eric Walden of the Salt Lake City Tribune joins Takeline to help make sense of it all. Jamel and Zach then...
Published 09/07/22
In OKC, it looks like we’re heading back to tank town after Chet Holmgren was been ruled out for the season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Thunder reporter with The Athletic Andrew Schlecht joins us with the latest. Then, college football national reporter Nicole Auerbach helps explain The Big Ten’s titanic new TV rights deal & what might happen as conferences continue to realign.
Published 08/30/22
On this week's episode of Takeline. Jason Concepcion is joined by Jordan Ligons, host of the Spinsters podcast. Jamel Johnson joins the duo to recount the WNBA playoff games from over the weekend and share their postseason expectations. Then, Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal will joins the podcast to react to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 11 game suspension from the league stemming from his sexual assault cases.
Published 08/23/22
On this week's Takeline, Jason Concepcion is joined by Zach Harper of the Athletic. Together, they discuss the Detroit Lion's edition of "NFL: Hard Knocks" and the English Premier League's equivalent, "All or Nothing," which is focused on Jason's EPL team Arsenal this season. Then, the duo take a deep dive into the Brooklyn Nets' drama filled postseason with Kristian Winfield, Nets beat writer for the New York Daily News.
Published 08/16/22
Joshua Robinson (Wall Street Journal) joins Takeline to help break down every match from Premier League’s opening weekend, with discussions on Arteta’s future with Arsenal, Tottenham’s statement win & a sputtering Chelsea team. Josh’s new book (Messi vs. Ronaldo), written with Jonathan Clegg, is out November 1st, 2022. Then, Trevor Lane (Lakers Nation) joins the show to explain the Lakers’ ideal deadline to trade Russell Westbrook, expectations for Anthony Davis & what contract makes...
Published 08/09/22
On this episode of Takeline, Jason Concepcion talks to Myles Simmons — a reporter with NBC Sports & Pro Football Talk — about Deshaun Watson’s six-game suspension, handed down to him Monday by independent arbitrator Sue L. Robinson, in a punishment that can still be upended by commissioner Roger Goodell. Jason also talks to New Orleans Pelicans reporter Will Guillory of The Athletic about Zion Williamson’s curious weight clause in his new extension with the team. In this week's edition of...
Published 08/02/22
Jason is joined by Jamel Johnson (Air Buds podcast) to help explain what it’s like to hang with celebrities at the ESPYs in Hollywood. Later, Jason & Jamel talk to Max Bretos — play-by-play announcer for LAFC — to unpack the state of Major League Soccer (with a look towards the 2022 World Cup) after Gareth Bale & Giogio Chellini made their debuts in LA.
Published 07/26/22
Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated joins Takeline to unpack the awkward appeal of LIV Golf, Ian Poulter’s 160-foot putt, Rory’s duel with Cameron Smith and Tiger Woods’ long walk off The Open. Then, Penn State law professor William E. Butler explains Brittney Griner’s recent acknowledgement of guilt, Russia’s narcotic substance punishments, “prisoner swaps,” and the likelihood of an acquittal.
Published 07/19/22
Jason Concepcion, refreshed and recharged for the summer, makes his triumphant return on this week's episode of Takeline. Alongside co-host Jamel Johnson, Concepcion chats with another great friend of the pod, Zach Harper of the Athletic, who joined from deep within the thick of NBA summer league in Las Vegas, Nevada to talk the summer league experience as well as offseason storylines, rumors, trades and signings. Then Tumaini Carayol, a sports reporter for The Guardian who covered Wimbledon...
Published 07/12/22
It's a special fourth of July weekend edition of Takeline! Jason will return from his post NBA Finals hiatus next week, but this week’s show is a family affair. C.J. Toledano and Megan Gailey- comedians, new parents and Takeline's favorite couple- venture out across the sports spectrum. First, they speak with Peter Baugh, who covered the Colorado Avalanche’s successful run up to the almost immediately dented Stanley Cup, then check in with Bob Nightengale, national baseball writer for USA...
Published 07/05/22
Jordan Ligons, host of the Spinsters podcast and freelance Basketball journalist, sits in the host's chair while Jason Concepcion takes a well deserved break from the grind now that the NBA season is over, and presides over a of couple of really important topics of conversation. Friday’s Supreme Court decision was one of those moments in American history that sent echoes through all corners of society, and the sports world is no exception. The overturning of Roe v Wade represents an...
Published 06/28/22
On this week's Takeline, Jamel Johnson, host of the Air Buds podcast, joins Jason Concepcion to ring in the NBA offseason. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games last Friday, and the party was in San Francisco on Monday in celebration of this fourth championship of the Warriors dynasty. Dan Devine of the Ringer returns to discuss the Finals victory, Golden State’s legacy and the outlook for the team’s continued success, and then the episode wraps up with a game of...
Published 06/22/22
Game six of the NBA Finals in Boston may be the final game of the season. The Warriors are taking a 3-2 back to the east coast, and need just one more victory to claim the NBA title. Dan Devine, who is covering the NBA Finals for the Ringer, joins Jason Concepcion to recap the Warriors 104-94 home win in game 5 and what Golden State has to do to close out the series, and Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street journal returns to Takeline to break down the budding golf war between the PGA tour and...
Published 06/14/22