The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hi, this is Josh Levine, and this is Slate Sports Podcast, Hang Up and Listen for the week of August 25th, 2014.

On this week's show, we're going to talk about the predictive power or lack thereof of the NFL preseason.

Preseason football. What is it good for?

Then we'll talk about wins above replacement, the catch-all statistical measure that's

supposedly the best way to measure a baseball player's overall ability, and which says

that maybe the Royals Alex Gordon is the best player in the game. War, what is it good for?

What is it good for?

And finally, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton will be here to talk about the game. War. What is it good for? What is it good for? And finally, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton

will be here to talk about the Cavs acquisition of Kevin Love and how we can tell just how good

the ex-Temberwolf really is, love. What is that good for? Actually, not finally, because we'll have a

bonus segment of First Slate Plus members. We'll be joined by the Washington Post, Sally Jenkins, and we'll talk about whether we will all forget Monet Davis's name now that the Little League World Series is over. Kids, they're not good for anything. Joining me in Washington, D.C., it's Stefan Fatsis, author of the book's Word Freak and A Few Seconds of Panic, The Friday, Sports Correspondent for NPRs, all things considered. He's a good man. He's good for everything. How are you, Stefan? Hi, Josh. I'm well. And with us in New York, is that good for nothing? Mike Pesca. What has he ever done? What has he done for us lately? He's hosted The Gist with Mike Peska. Actually, what he does every day is host The Gist with Mike Peska.

Hello, Mike.

The theme of today's podcast is All's Fair. hosted The Gist with Mike Peska. Actually, what he does every day is host The Gist with Mike Peska.

Hello, Mike.

The theme of today's podcast is All's Fair as we speak on love and war.

That we will.

We have a live show to announce.

We have announced it before, but we can announce it multiple times.

October 8th at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn.

It's part of New York Super Week, which is an extension of Comic-Con, which is itself an extension of another Comic-Con. Perhaps there will be a trailer for a new Marvel movie. Maybe Ant-Man will be at our show. I might be joining us. I will promise that today. Ant-Man will be there. Slate.com slash hang up. We just won't be able to say, yes.. We just won't be able to see him. He'll be there. He'll be lifting five million times his body weight. He'll be holding up one leg of my chair on the stage. A little piece of cheese that fell to the floor from someone's table. Do ants eat cheese? They should. Do ants know what cheese is?

All superheroes that have to norm for waiter like countries that have to norm for population.

...