Sports R Dumb

40 Episodes
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By: Joey Held, Sean Hill

Sean and Joey love sports, but they realize there are a lot of dumb elements within our favorite games. And each week, they'll break down one of those dumb things in this tidy, bite-sized podcast.  Drop by to hear Sean lament over the stupidity of a certain aspect in sports—basketball, football, baseball, hockey, golf, tennis, volleyball, lacrosse—nothing is off-limits. If there's something dumb to talk about, you better believe we'll hit it.  We're also covering some pointless tweets, overused sports cliches, and general news that...well, doesn't need to be news.  And we love to hear from you! Give Se...

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A Hawaiian World Cup Excursion!
Last Tuesday at 7:11 AM

Joey is back from his Hawaiian vacation and needs Sean to catch him up on NBA, NHL, and World Cup happenings. Turns out the folks of Maui are quite friendly, so while Joey missed many games, he made many new friends. And ain't that what life is all about?

Plus, we talk about the excitement of having patriotism, snorkeling with sea turtles, and what it's like to be a video game tester.

Referenced in this episode:

Nakalele Blowhole

"A Minute Without You" by Hanson


Fan Behavior During the NBA Finals Was Incomprehensibly Dumb
06/16/2026

The NBA (and NHL) Finals are in the books, but we didn't know that when we recorded this episode! Instead, we got to see NBA fans acting foolish in beating up other people, and this happened both in New York and San Antonio against Spurs and Knicks fans, respectively. Why are we letting laundry dictate our behavior?

Plus, it's the beginning of the World Cup! What a great time. We also dive into the sad vibes that occur after being egged, Blink-182 dropping "new" bonus tracks from 25 years ago, and very wholesome moments during performances of the...


Blazer Tag, Bingo, and Karaoke Respites Among Dumb Sports Moves
06/09/2026

Why in the world are the Chicago Bears moving to Indiana? Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks and Stars are both moving to a less-populated area of Dallas and Plano, respectively. Change isn't always bad, but it hurts to lose a classic, nostalgic memory.

Luckily, we have some nice breaks among the craziness. Joey had a busy weekend of laser tag, bingo, and karaoke, including a performance as Game 2 of the NBA Finals was wrapping up (he did not choose this). Sean ALSO did karaoke and played a hockey playoff game, which was fortunate, because he wound up missing...


Let's Add One Dumb (or Brilliant) Rule to Each Sport!
06/02/2026

Sports already have a lot of rules, but there's always room for improvement. The Sports R Dumb boys have each selected a rule to add to popular sports, including basketball, football, baseball, hockey, volleyball, and soccer.

Imagine how fun it would be if every basketball team could have one "rule of cool" challenge, or if a baseball team could decide to "double or nothing" a home run. And shouldn't safeties be worth more points than field goals in football?

Thank you to Visit Frisco for hosting us in their podcast studio to record this episode...


Non-Dumb Elements of Soccer Other Sports Should Adopt
05/26/2026

The World Cup is right around the corner, and Texas is hosting several games throughout the event. That feels like the perfect time to run through the best parts about soccer (or football, if you're international) that other sports should adopt.

Plus, we're revisiting old Seinfeld and Shark Tank episodes, when musical artists create "sports-centric" versions of their songs, and what Pokémon moves Sean would use.

Thank you to Visit Frisco for hosting us in their podcast studio this episode! How fun to be a stone's throw away from where the Dallas Cowboys practice, a...


Schedule Release Videos R Excessively Long and Dumb (But We Still Generally Love 'Em)
05/19/2026

Do you need a 9-minute video to learn about your favorite team's schedule? Certainly not! But the sports world loves milking things for all they're worth, and so we wind up with incredibly intricate schedule release videos like the NFL has once again launched. Or, perhaps you wait a month into the playoffs to learn who the MVP of the NBA is, despite those votes being tallied a month ago.

Plus, it's Sean's birthday this week! He reflects on his birthday bash celebrations and things he's started doing as an older man. Such things include getting wildly...


All the NBA Draft Shenanigans R Bad Luck Dumb
05/12/2026

The fate of the NBA relies on some ping pong balls! Another NBA Draft lottery is in the books, and once again, a process that should take two minutes to reveal has been drawn out into a full half hour. Incoming rookies sit in silence while analysts talk about their games right in front of them. Teams bring representatives who look like they'd rather be anywhere else. It's all quite silly!

Plus, adventures with meat, another Star Fox video game reboot, and Sean gets so mad about YouTube ads that he accidentally mutes himself. Remember when times...


A Post-Vacation Sports Jamboree!
05/05/2026

Joey is back from vacation in Poland, and he even played some sports while he was there. Meanwhile, Sean is in the midst of hockey season and has been moved to defense because no one else on his team is capable.

Plus, a barrage of sports updates from the NBA and NHL playoffs, as well as wild developments across the NCAA. And we're breaking down the most memorable levels from the GoldenEye video game.


A Very Un-Sportsmanlike Sports R Dumb
04/28/2026

This might set a record for the least amount of time talking about sports! We're covering the absolute worst karaoke song to sit through, a barrage of game shows (including the best games to play on The Price is Right), and ponder whether dinosaurs are dragons.

But for our classic sports fanatics, we do still have a few good moments. We're chatting volleyball and Sean powering through multiple 10K runs. At least he didn't see a bright light this time.

Referenced in this episode:

Dinosaurs Are Dragons TV Tropes

Professor Price...


The Hullabaloo Around the NFL Draft is Predictively Dumb
04/21/2026

The NFL Draft is this week, and that means we're finally free from all the mock drafts! Goodbye big boards, hello new roster additions. Of course, there are still plenty of draft moments that make us smile, from George Pickens watching himself get drafted on TV to a montage of disappointed Jets fans.

Plus, we discuss vacation packing habits, WNBA hopes for the upcoming season, and a pair of "classic" TV shows (okay, one classic and one that probably slipped under the radar) that Sean has never seen.

Referenced in this episode:

New...


A Sports R Dumb Spring Cleaning
04/14/2026

It's the perfect time for a little sports spring cleaning! Goodbye, silly grievances, and hello exciting playoff pushes.


We're making our NBA and NHL postseason predictions, teams named after natural disasters, peeing during golf outings, bad Shark Tank ideas, and the vibe of feeling fresh after a haircut.


Referenced in This Episode:


Gorilla PC Game


Spot PC Game


A Bus Blocking the Georgia Dome Implosion


A Sports R Dumb Live Event Bonanza
04/07/2026

Over the span of six days, Joey went to MLB Opening Day, multiple NCAA Tournament games, and a hockey game. What a time to be alive! We're recapping highlights from those events.


Don't worry, Sean has enjoyed plenty of dumb sports moments, too. Texas was oh so close in its various tournament games. But alas, Sean was left disappointed in a Chili's.


Referenced in this episode:


Grant Hill's reaction to Duke's Elite Eight collapse


Look At This Milestone! 200 Episodes of Sports R Dumb
03/24/2026

Holy cow! Sports R Dumb is celebrating its 200th episode. And how are we doing it? With a wild curiosity about this dumb ol' world of sports. Namely, we're diving into some of the more maddening parts of March Madness, from impressive buzzer beaters like those from St. John's and Kentucky, to almost immediate instances of basketball karma taking place on the court.

That's not all, though. We're also exploring old phrases like the concept of a domestic engineer, determining which game shows we'd have the most success on, and diving into the ins and outs of...


Dumb Ways to Fill Out Your March Madness Bracket
03/17/2026

What a whirlwind few days it's been! The Academy Awards, SXSW, literal massive windstorms sweeping through Texas and the Midwest...and of course, the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament Brackets. Welcome to March Madness!

We're sharing how you can fill out your brackets creatively, whether by mascot, region, or unique tourist attractions. Plus, diving into variations of Monopoly. Did you know Sean has never actually finished a game? Wild stuff.

Things we referenced in this episode:

Algebracket for filling out your bracket

Sportsmanship - Pass It On commercial

Pablo...


Fans Trying to Fight Players, Weird Probationary Periods, and Excellent Plots of 90s Baseball Movies R All Spring Forwardly Dumb
03/10/2026

We're in our first week of Daylight Savings Time here in the U.S., and that one less hour of sleep must have permeated its way through the sports world, too. We've got fans looking to throw chairs at players and/or getting escorted off in handcuffs during games for being too rambunctious.

Meanwhile, Long Island University has already won the Northeast Conference because its title game opponent is ineligible due to silly Division II and III to Division I transfer rules.

There's other silliness (and some great basketball) going on, but we're also taking...


Leaving Your Team in the Middle of a Game is Perplexingly Dumb
03/03/2026

We've had quite a few dumb moments happening in college basketball, from Chad Baker-Mazara leaving his team midway through the game to Mick Cronin ejecting his own player after a flagrant foul. Meanwhile, Bruce Pearl is advocating that Miami (OH) should not make the NCAA Tournament despite a 29-0 record, while 15-14 Auburn should because they've played a harder schedule. Silly. And we've unfortunately seen several star players go out with injuries, but it isn't the death knell you'd expect for most of their teams. Plus, Joey and Sean go to an Austin Spurs game. Shenanigans predictably ensue.

<...


A Dumb Recap of the Winter Olympics
02/24/2026

"It takes a long time to get the train moving." The Winter Olympics are in the books, and we're covering the highlights and lowlights. Congratulations to the U.S. women's hockey team, Mikaela Shiffrin, the domesticated wolf dog who crossed the finish line in style, and all the Olympians who won a medal. That is a super cool and impressive accomplishment.

Plus, a foray into Rollercoaster Tycoon, Mario Party, and going horseback riding as kids (and adults). Living in the past is fun, y'all.

The fun links we mention:

Colin Jost attempts to...


All-Star Weekend, Tanking, and Other Dumb Non-Competitiveness
02/17/2026

We've wrapped up All-Star Weekend, but NBA teams still have about two months left in the regular season. That means there's plenty of time for tanking! We're breaking everything down and perhaps pitching a fix or two.

Plus, what would you call your charity if it used wordplay based on your name?

References from the episode:

Aaron Gordon's Chair Dunk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q6n5NE6Cb4

Uh-Oh Maggette-O Kids Nonprofit: https://www.celebritytalent.net/sampletalent/7558/corey-maggette/


Threats Against Olympic Athletes R Concerningly Dumb
02/10/2026

The Winter Olympics are underway and have been a treat. But of course, because some people are the worst, Olympians are facing harsh criticism after answering questions posed to them during these Games. You can disagree with someone without using hateful words or wishing them harm and death. In fact, that's exactly what the athletes are doing in a very graceful way while also focusing on the biggest moments of their lives.

Plus, the excellent Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show, the pedestrian Super Bowl game itself, and the dreadful, heavily AI-ruined Super Bowl commercials.

...


These Situations of Professional Athletes Joining College Teams R Loopholingly Dumb
02/03/2026

Is "loopholingly" a word? Certainly not, but it's a nice way to describe the dumbness going on at the college basketball level. Players who have been drafted or even played in G-League games are now returning to college in the middle of the season.

Plus, Joey recalls a college classmate who received a letter from the NBA after declaring for the draft years after he graduated, and Sean makes some solid predictions for the Super Bowl, including about the pre-game show with Green Day and the halftime show with Bad Bunny.

Finally, let's see how...


A Dumb Weekend of Conference Championship Games
01/27/2026

The NFC and AFC Championships are in the books, and my oh my, what a radically different experience we got. The Broncos and Patriots had to attempt some semblance of football in a blizzard, while the Rams and Seahawks had much nicer conditions and...well, played a much nicer game because of it.

Plus, events we wish were at the Pro Bowl, forgotten plays from close losses, and we sadly recap the College Football Playoff championship game. What a year it was!

Fernando Mendoza breaking literal records on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon": https...


Football Games in the Cold R Frostbitingly Dumb
01/20/2026

During the playoffs, we want to see the best teams performing at the highest level. That's pretty tough to do when it's so cold outside that you have to wear cayenne pepper in your socks to keep your blood circulating. Yet year after year, we see meaningful matchups having to battle cold, wind, snow, and other elements, ultimately leading to a less than stellar product on the field.

Plus, we're recapping a wild weekend of NFL moments, wondering whether it's better to take the ball first or second in overtime, and discussing some silly weather-related baseball bloopers...


Proclaiming Games Are Over Before They're Over is Boisterously Dumb
01/13/2026

You may have noticed the Chicago Bears were down by 18 points to the Green Bay Packers at halftime during their game in the NFC Wild Card round. Sports fans everywhere said the game was over. The Bears were a fluke. The Packers would win easily with Jordan Love playing the whole game. Chicago is cold.

Okay, that last part is accurate, but all too often, we see people putting down a team during a game, and then that team comes back and wins. And people far pettier than us will keep those receipts and make you look...


The NFC South Race is Fittingly Dumb
01/06/2026

It's a new year, but sports continue to be dumb! We're chatting through some of the silliest moments of the NFL season, perhaps best enshrined by the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers finishing 8-9 and making the playoffs, while the entire NFC North finished with a winning record (and two of those teams didn't make the playoffs).

Plus, we're sharing some New Year's resolutions around sports, Sean is thrilled that he has continued to avoid playing fantasy football, and Joey helped a lost dog return home. And how about those Miami Hurricanes?! The College Football Playoff is...


Season's Greetings from Sports R Dumb
12/23/2025

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and wouldn’t you know it, sports are still dumb. We’re in a nostalgic mood as part of our last episode of the year, so we’re diving into some of our favorite, most memorable, and dumbest moments from 2025. You’ll hear about the Luka Doncic trade, a bizarre stretch of behavior from Puka Nacua, and an insane amount of wild games on March 27.


Plus, Sean received a lovely box of cookies as a gift but has to contend with ants. And many years ago, Joey...


The College Football Playoff Selection Process is Perplexing Dumb
12/16/2025

Sean and Joey both attended the University of Miami (Sean in grad school, Joey in undergrad), and they're thrilled the Hurricanes are participating in the College Football Playoff. Does that mean they understand how they got here? Certainly not!

Notre Dame was ranked ahead of Miami in every previous installment of the rankings, continued beating teams by a lot, and then dropped out. BYU beat every team on its schedule not named Texas Tech and fell out of the rankings after sounding losing its conference championship game. Alabama also badly lost its conference championship game and suffered...


NFL Parity is Refreshingly Dumb
12/09/2025

We're a month away from the NFL playoffs, and...is any team good? Are typically good teams bad? In any given week, it seems like a team could emerge victorious, then turn around and completely fall apart a mere week later. Do you trust any of these squads to win a stretch of games en route to a Super Bowl? We sure don't!

Due to scheduling conflicts, this episode was recorded a week ahead of its air date. If more pandemonium unfolds in the meantime, that just feels incredibly on brand.


College Football is Becoming Dumber (But We Still Love It)
12/02/2025

The monetization of every aspect of college football has caused the sport to lose some of its charm. Remember when it was exciting to go to a bowl game? Now, it's just a seemingly endless stream of discussion and complaints of teams missing out on the playoffs.

And then you've got situations like Lane Kiffin leaving for a conference rival after leading his former team to its best regular season record ever. Wild stuff.

We're also going down on a rabbit hole of classic sports video game features. Thanks for listening!


A Very Non-Dumb Thanksgiving Celebration
11/25/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our listeners being just the best dang listeners in the world. We're sharing some of our grateful sports moments for the year. We're also diving into the best Thanksgiving sides. What a treat!


The GM Who Made the Dumbest Move in History is Finally Fired
11/18/2025

Since our last episode, the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, architect of perhaps the worst trade in NBA history. Finally, Sean and the city of Dallas can begin to heal.

Plus, Joey visits the Grammy Museum, and how early is too early to begin playing Christmas music?


Forecasting "If the Playoffs Started Today" is Futuristically Dumb
11/11/2025

The NHL is about a month into the season. The official NHL social media accounts are posting "if the playoffs started today" content. The playoffs start in April, notably five months from now. It's the same deal with the College Football Playoff—there are still several games to be played. These types of hypotheticals are not worth stressing over.

And we had a scorigami this weekend with an NFL score that's never happened before! Plus, do you think you could throw for at least 12 yards during an NFL game? Surely not, but, like...it feels kind of at...


That World Series Wasn't Dumb, But Some of the Discourse Around It Sure Was
11/04/2025

We just saw one of the most entertaining World Series matchups we'll likely ever witness. Yet so many arguments after the fact boil down to nitpicking certain plays, criticizing the Dodgers for spending money and "ruining" baseball, and calling people stupid for not doing a specific thing. Sure, fans of the teams actually playing can go a little bonkers, but the rest of us? We can probably all just enjoy high-quality sports at their finest.

Speaking of bonkers, how about the end of that Bears/Bengals game? Plus, a few other NFL shenanigans, one of our favorite...


Overdoing It On Dopplegangers and "Play of the Year" Designations R Ambitiously Dumb
10/28/2025

It's fine to tell someone they look like someone else, but just do it once. Repeatedly yelling "You look like [insert person here]" is just perplexing and no one knows how to respond. Concurrently, sports fans love to dub things the "catch/dunk/play of the year" REALLY early in the season. Are we just assuming everything else will be a dud?

Plus, we wonder how things would be if we had Pokemon trainer encounters in real life. And Joey has started a new rec basketball league and had an interesting first game. He also tries to...


A Delightfully Dumb Weekend of Historic Sports Performances
10/21/2025

It was a bonkers weekend of sports with multiple record-setting events. Sure, we're lamenting about the Miami Hurricanes losing a stunner at home and Jerry Jones refusing to install blinds so the Dallas Cowboys aren't blinded by the sun during late afternoon games.

But we're also covering Shohei Ohtani's bonkers NLCS Game 4 performance and the Denver Broncos with a previously unheard of level of comeback, which included a whopping 33 points in the fourth quarter.

Plus, we're reminiscing on classic computer games, and who doesn't enjoy that?


Suing LeBron James for a Hennessy Ad is Laughably Dumb
10/14/2025

Recently, LeBron James teased a "Decision, Part 2." To people in the marketing field like Joey, this setup felt like the basis of an ad. Even to sports people such as Sean, the immediate response was not, "Oh, let me buy some expensive basketball tickets."

That WAS the response for at least one dumb fan, and now he's suing LeBron for intentionally deceiving the public. Our tax dollars are going to this court case. We hope the judge laughs in his face and makes him pay his own way for wasting everyone's time.

Plus, Sean is...


Preseason College Football Rankings R Prematurely Dumb
10/07/2025

Texas and Penn State were the preseason #1 and #2 teams before the college football season began. It's now Week 7 and both of those teams are completely out of the Top 25. It's almost like we're just wildly guessing at the quality of teams, and maybe we should play some games before arbitrarily assigning rankings!

This was also one of the wildest NFL weeks in recent memory, so we're breaking down the chaos of games like Niners/Rams (which included a crazy pre-game moment with Mac Jones) and Titans/Cardinals, a game where a snap bouncing off the quarterback's face...


Rapidly Rushing the Field and Showboat Bobbles R "Look Out!" Dumb
09/30/2025

Virginia upset a top-ten opponent in Florida State. Fans rushed the field before the ball even touched the ground. Thankfully, the two players in the corner of the end zone are alive and didn't get trampled by, you know, hordes of people like they were a plague of locusts o'er the land.

Meanwhile, Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell made one of the most impressive catches we've seen so far this year. He then did some nifty spins and jukes and was running free toward the end zone when he decided to showboat. Alas, the ball rolled out...


A Sporting Event Dividing Sports R Dumb is Frustratingly Dumb
09/23/2025

The Chicago Bears hosted the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, which meant Joey and Sean's teams were going up against each other. One of us emerged victorious and happy, and it wasn't the Cowboys fan. But at least Sean has Texas Longhorns football to fall back on. Arch Manning dominated a school in a lower division...that's something, right?

Plus, an absurd number of blocked field goals, we're celebrating World Gratitude Day, and Sean starts a point before forgetting what he's talking about halfway through. We've all been there.


A Dumb Start to the Football Season
09/16/2025

We're back in action! Joey's been overseas, but Sean has been in the thick of both college and NFL football. And it has been full of chaos, as you'd probably expect.

Plus, Joey recaps his trip to Scotland and Copenhagen, Sean cannot remember a playful word, and we learn how to "split the G" with a pint of Guinness.


Let's Make Some Dumb NFL Predictions!
08/26/2025

The NFL season is nearly upon us, so we're making some dumb predictions. Learn what ridiculous record Sean thinks the Cowboys will wind up with, hear what mental mistake Joey predicts will happen multiple times before Week 3 kicks off, and so much more.

Due to some upcoming vacation after this episode, Sports R Dumb is taking a break. We'll be back in action on September 16. In the meantime, perhaps you can give us a follow on Instagram or a kind review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You rock!