Hi, this is Josh Levine and this is Slate's sports podcast, Hang Up and Listen for the week of June 30th, 2014.

On this week's show, we'll discuss the week that was in the World Cup with the tournament's first penalty shootouts, the sad departure of Mexican coach Miguel Herrera and the U.S. set to face Belgium in a Titanic intercontinental

struggle on Tuesday. We will then talk about the latest roster building theories and techniques

in basketball. The Sixers look primed to tank another season. Miami's Big Three have all opted

out of their contracts, and Carmelo Anthony prepares to make a lowercase D decision

about his future lowercase D destination. In baseball, Sports Illustrated has declared the rebuilding

last place Astros as your 2017 World Series champs, while Billy Bean's Oakland A's somehow

sit with the best record in the major leagues. In our bonus segment for Slate Plus

members, we'll talk about former child prodigy Michelle Wee, breaking through to when the U.S.

Women's Open and current child prodigy Lucy Lee competing in that event at age 11.

When I was young, I never needed anyone, and making love was just for fun. Those days are gone,

living alone. I think

of all the friends I've known. But when I dialed the telephone, nobody's home. Does anyone know

what I'm referring to? Stefan, Mike? Yeah, you're just confessing things in your soul, right?

I'm noting that I'm all by myself. All by myself.

I was hoping I didn't have to be the one to sing that.

Thank you for falling for my race.

I will always be the one.

Many, many the gist listeners writing, complaining about that fact.

This is track one of the 10-disc soft rock collection,

that Mike Pesquez is sitting next to him in the studio right now.

Yep.

...