por Steven Godfrey & Ryan Nanni
Rodger Sherman, writer of Sports!, joins Ryan Nanni to discuss the sale and impending move of the Connecticut Sun to Houston, which will end nearly a quarter century of WNBA play in the Nutmeg State. How does the Sun move evoke painful memories of Hartford losing the Whalers? Statistically, where does Connecticut fall amongst other cities and states in the pro sports pecking order? And is the absence of prominent pro sports good or bad for UConn? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Ryan Nanni sits down with Steven Godfrey to review a classic of offseason sportswriting: the coach profile. Examining the work Godfrey did interviewing coaches from James Franklin to Tom Herman to Geoff Collins, this episode explores how these pieces come together, what agendas they serve for both sides, whether you can get actual journalism from these stories, and why Godfrey eventually decided to abandon the format. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Steven Godfrey is joined by Hector Diaz to discuss recent WWE Hall of Fame inductee AJ Styles and how his path in the world of wrestling reveals about the business – the fights over the "right" kind of body frame, the challenges of promoting talent outside of WWE, and the reality that all bumps count the same. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Typically, the Single Wing is where Steven Godfrey answers questions from Phantom Island subscribers about football, the media, and life in general. But today, Ryan Nanni steps into the parasocial chair to discuss whether Indiana will be the exception or the rule, why lawyers love to get into sports media, mourning the end of being a parent to just one child, and important SEC breakfast comparisons. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Ryan Nanni is joined by David Covucci to discuss FOIAball's recent story comparing actual attendance at college football games to the claimed numbers. When is a sellout not really a sellout? Why don't colleges give accurate information when technology gives them much better headcounts? And what was behind the NCAA's initial push to track – and potentially punish – programs with low turnout? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Kevin Van Valkenburg of The Fried Egg joins Ryan Nanni to review how Tiger Woods came to be so essential to the existence of the modern golf industry, why he's persisted as a foundational figure despitely largely disappearing from competition, what makes golf particularly ill-suited to moving on from him, and what a healthier relationship between Tiger and the game might look like. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
April started with three things that point towards the possible future of college athletics - a White House executive order, an Ivy League court win, and Alabama AD Greg Byrne pondering whether the SEC will have to kick out cheaters in the future. Ryan Nanni and Steven Godfrey discuss how these all intersect and who actually wants to be in charge of intercollegiate sports in the future. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
On this edition of the Single Wing, Steven Godfrey answers questions from Phantom Island listeners on topics from Sonny Dykes talking transfer interceptions to grill and smoker strategies to when and why a program might consider dropping from FBS to FCS. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
D.J. Byrnes, proprietor of The Rooster and frequent burr in the saddle of Important People in Ohio, joins Steven Godfrey to talk about his reporting on The Ohio State University, the media landscape in Ohio and around the Buckeyes, and the many bombshells Ohio State is trying to smother. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.
Ryan Nanni sits down with Steven Godfrey to explain what happened at the end of stoppage time in the Senegal-Morocco AFCON Final and the lengthy appeals review that followed. This turns into a conversation about whether or not Godfrey would accept the overturning of the 28-3 Super Bowl in Atlanta's favor and the time the Hawks and Heat had to replay part of a game weeks later because the officials forgot how to count to six. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.