WELCOME BACK TO BANTER ON THE ROCKS! WITH THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP OFFICIALLY IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR, WE'RE BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CHAOS, HOT TAKES, SPORTS DEBATES, MOVIES, AND PLENTY OF LAUGHS. THIS WEEK, WE KICK THINGS OFF WITH BANTER TAKES, WHERE WE BREAK DOWN THE ESPN LAYOFFS AND DEBATE WHETHER THE NETWORK IS MAKING MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE THAT COULD EVENTUALLY MAKE IT IRRELEVANT IN THE MODERN SPORTS MEDIA LANDSCAPE. WE ALSO DISCUSS WHY HBO'S HARD KNOCKS HAS LOST THE MAGIC THAT ONCE MADE IT MUST-SEE TV, HOW SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON HAS BECOME A BIGGER CULTURAL EVENT THAN MANY MAJOR AWARD SHOWS (AND WHY EVENTS LIKE FANATICS FEST SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION), AND WHETHER CHRISTOPHER NOLAN HAS REACHED THE POINT WHERE HIS NAME ALONE GUARANTEES A BLOCKBUSTER HIT. PLUS, WE THROW OUT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE IDEAS YET—SHOULD CHRISTOPHER NOLAN MAK ...