The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hi, this is Josh Levine, and this is Slate's sports podcast Hang Up and Listen for the week of July 27th, 2015.

On this week's show, we'll talk about the basketball tournament, the winner take all, open to everyone event,

featuring lots of players you've never

heard of, and a few that you barely remember, playing for a grand prize of $1 million.

We'll also talk to basketball legend Nancy Lieberman about what it's like for a woman to coach men,

and we'll be joined by Brad Belukhian to discuss his quest to hang out with all 14 players

from a single pack of 1986 tops baseball cards. I'm all alone this week here in Washington, D.C.,

because my longtime sports companion, Stefan Fatsis, is in New York. But no matter where he is,

Stefan is the author of Word Freak in A Few Seconds of Panic, and he is number one in our hearts. How are you, Stefan? Hi, Joshua. I'm with another guy here. I'm not alone. So maybe you're alone, but I'm not alone. And I don't really care that you're alone. You're never alone when the Lord is with you. By the way, my new nickname is the Lord.

If you're not, but I'm not going to tell you where. If you're not number one in our hearts,

Mike, you're in the conversation. You're on the podium in our hearts. You're somewhere deep. In the conversation to be a bronze medalist of the podium. You're somewhere deep inside the left

ventricle. It's Mike Baska. host of Slate's Daily podcast, The Gist, The Heart.

With Mike Peska. With Mike Peska. Thanks. Hey, anytime. Anytime, Lord. In our bonus segment for Slate Plus members this week, we'll discuss this weekend's baseball Hall of Fame ceremony, the junior sale controversy at the NFL

Hall of Fame, whether it would be better if all Hall of Famers insulted everyone in their

speeches, just like Michael Jordan did that one time.

That was great.

To hear this bonus segment and others like it and hang up and listen, various other Slate

shows, sign up for Slate Plus at slate.com slash hangup plus, and you can get a free two-week trial at that very same URL, Slate.com slash hangup plus.

All right, let's get situated in this first segment by noting that the tournament is a basketball tournament, that it's open to all comers,

features 96 teams plus last year's defending champion the Notre Dame fighting alumni.

It does not bow to the tyranny of even numbers in tournaments, Stefan.

...