Locker Room Talk

Hello Spotify! We kick off today's episode with a recap of Week 8 in the NFL. Topics include the Steelers officially having a firm grip on the AFC North, Joe Burrow and the Bengals pull off the upset, Tua's first win, Dalvin Cook goes ballistic, the Eagles lead the NFC East, and the Bucs squeak out of Metlife with a win. We then welcome on former QB for the Temple Owls, Frank Nutile. He talks about his high school career at Don Bosco, his decision to play at Temple, what it was like to be a starting quarterback in Division I football, and some phenomenal stories along the way (28:00 - 1:10:32). We wrap it up with a rant from Tom about a new protocol in junior hockey, trending twitter topics, and Espo can't stop with the outro music.

Week 7 of the NFL gave us a ton of storylines, some good and some bad. On the good side, we discuss the Chiefs with Le'Veon Bell, Tom Brady is still the GOAT, and DK Metcalf is half man + half gazelle. On the flip side, the Cowboys are a disaster, the Jets are the Jets, and the Falcons can't buy a win. We also dive into Baker Mayfield's performance and if he can keep the momentum going. College football was also chaos, starting with our alma mater. Rutgers has their first Big 10 win since 2017, and we are buzzing. We also touch on Trevor Lawrence, the Penn State / Indiana ending, Ohio State's superiority in the Big 10, and Lane Kiffin getting in trouble on social media. We welcome on a very special guest, as former professional hockey player Colin Mulvey joins us. He talks about his story of deciding to play hockey, his journey through the ECHL, his brief stint in Germany, and tons of stories with a ton of laughs. We wrap it up with a quick reaction to Game 4 of the World Series and trending twitter topics.

Very special episode as the boys start off with recapping all the headlines of Week 6 in the NFL. Topics include the Titans hot start, the Giants actually won a game, Tampa dominating Green Bay, and Tua being named the starting QB for the Dolphins. Week 7 of college football is in the books as well. Alabama is an absolute wagon, UNC takes the upset loss to Florida State, Trevor Lawrence is the best QB prospect we have ever seen, and South Carolina keeps on rolling. We then welcome on a very special guest, as former NFL TE Ryan Malleck joins us. He talks about his background coming from Point Pleasant, his college decision to attend Virginia Tech, and what it was like to be a player in the NFL (47:47 - 1:27:12) We wrap it up with trending twitter topics and an interesting new outro.

Not our usual upload day, but we are back with another jam packed episode. We start with the breaking news of Le'Veon signing with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Tom has some great stats about his time with the Jets. Week 5 was a hectic one, with some big performances from Chase Claypool and a huge upset from the Raiders over the Chiefs. We discuss that and more. The Lakers have won the 2020 NBA Finals, we congratulate them and get into a great debate about Jimmy Butler compared to other top notch players in the league. Tom breaks down all the NHL free agency news, and Joe does his usual slander of the Rangers. Our college football picks have been red hot, we discuss those along with the Texas / Oklahoma game. We wrap it up with Joe discussing his battle with Covid-19 (officially a certified survivor) and our usual ending segment, Trending Twitter Topics.

Another episode with tons to get to, starting with NFL Week 4. Our usual Jets talk, the Browns offensive clinic, and Tom Brady looking like his old self. We also touch on Justin Herbert impressing again, Philly coming away with a shocking win in San Francisco, and our current MVP as it stands. The Lakers officially have a 3-1 lead in the Finals, as we discuss the dynamic of the series before Game 4 tipped off. Of course, had to talk about the Bronx Bombers who are looking like the Yankees of old. We then were honored to have on Jake Dadika, former Rutgers basketball player and graduate assistant with the program, spanning from 2014-2020. He talks about his background, his unbelievable high school career, his time at Rutgers as a player + assistant and much more. (28:44 - 52:36) We wrap up with instant NHL Draft reaction to the Rangers #1 pick, our college football picks, and our best effort at trending twitter topics.

Loaded episode this week as the boys start off with recapping Week 3 of the NFL. The Jets and Giants, it can't get any worse for us. We touch on the Falcons collapse, Josh Allen, Cowboys/Seahawks, Aaron Rodgers, and Chiefs/Ravens. The NBA Finals are set, and we break down our predictions for who comes out of the bubble as champions. Speaking of champions, the NHL has crowned theirs, and it is the Tampa Bay Lightning! We touch on how they did it in such a crazy season. We then welcome on a very special guest, Archers Lacrosse Club's newest player Christian Mazzone. He talks about his story, his time at Rutgers, and what it's like to be a professional lacrosse player. (39:32 - 1:16:29) We wrap up with playoff baseball starting and a couple trending twitter topics.

The New York football teams are officially in shambles, and we are here to break it all down from a fan perspective. Tom and Espo get into it from the Jets side, and Mar takes the Giants. Week 2 was filled with injuries, but we focus on the positives of the slate with all the highlights from a fun day of football. The Stanley / Corona Cup is in full force, as we discuss the series being at a 1-1 tie heading into Game 3. Some quick NBA talk with the conference finals getting more entertaining by the day. We wrap up the show with Twitter Trends, another fun one that goes completely off the rails.

Lots of fun this episode as we get back into the 3 man groove. Espo has a lot of explaining to do coming off a 1 episode suspension for his antics on the Kentucky Derby episode. Tons of NFL Week 1 to discuss with a breakdown of each game. The first team has clinched their spot in the Stanley (aka Corona) Cup as the Stars upset the Golden Knights. We briefly touch on college football Week 2 and how the ranked teams looked in their first appearance before wrapping it up with a new segment called "Twitter Topic" as Tom reads us a trending, non-sports related topic and we have to guess what it is all about!

Tons to discuss on this episode, as we start by breaking down all things NHL. The Lightning are a wagon, Vegas bounced back in a big way, and Tom has some things to say about the most recent awards handed out. We then discuss the new contracts signed by DeAndre Hopkins and Jalen Ramsey and how we felt about both deals. NEW SEGMENT ALERT called "Prayers Up" for Von Miller and Ryan Shazier. Next up we have a ton of fun doing a mini fantasy football draft, with insight into reasons for drafting each player in our format. We wrap it up with some props to the Miami Heat and their impressive run to the Eastern Conference Final, along with the question all baseball fans are asking. What the hell is going on with the Yankees?

Change of pace this episode as we welcome a very special guest in Greg Forca. He has been betting horses since he was in diapers, and he joins us to discuss the upcoming Kentucky Derby. We discuss his pick to win, some exacta + trifecta boxes, and everything you need to know regarding the biggest race of the year. Word of advice - do NOT take any of Joe's picks.

After dealing with some reception issues to begin and Mar's power going out midway through the episode, we were able to gain our composure and put together a fun one. We start with someone who didn't deal with composure very well in Earl Thomas, who is now a free agent after recent allegations off the field. We also discuss the NBA playoff landscape and how amazing Luka Doncic has been in the bubble. Tom's 76ers pick did not work out, shocking. We also dive into the NHL playoffs and how disappointing the Blues were, along with predictions for how the conference finals will shake up. We wrap it up by talking about the news that Lionel Messi will be leaving Barcalona and how impactful it is to the game of soccer. 

Lots of catch up on for our Monday 8/17 episode! We discuss the rise of Dame Lillard in the bubble, the gross 90 seconds of basketball between the Nuggets and Jazz, and our picks for the quarterfinal matchups. Tuukka Rask has opted out of the playoffs for the Bruins. We dive into that along with what teams we have been most impressed with in the "Covid Cup." We finish with some breaking news from NFL training camps and our usual BS at the conclusion.

The Rangers got the #1 pick in this year's NHL Draft, and the boys are BUZZING. Topics include the future of the Rangers franchise along with NHL series previews + predictions. Then Joe Esposito hops on to discuss the Ben Simmons injury, NBA playoffs preview, and why college football needs to figure out this season ASAP. We wrap it up with Bill Simmons trying to make headlines and dissecting what he actually meant about Luka Doncic

The most cringe video of all time has surfaced on the internet, so naturally the boys talk about to break the ice. Topics include the Rangers being swept by the Hurricanes + their future, NFL players opting out, Chris Paul's amazing season, and the PGA Championship. Can't forget all the gambling talk as well, which is sprinkled in throughout this episode!

It felt like a national holiday on Saturday as every sport made a communal return, and the boys discuss it all. Judge is on an absolute tear, the Mets are a disaster again (shocking), Zion vs. Ja for the rookie crown, and of course some NHL with our Rangers slumping at the wrong time. Follow Tom's blog at makingsofavarsityathlete.weebly.com for all his picks / articles, he's on a gambling heater!

Welcome to Makings of a Varsity Athlete! In our premier, we talk lots of hockey as we break down the Eastern Conference play-in games for all 4 matchups. Spoiler alert, we are big Rangers fans so that portion is a little longer than the others. We then dive into the latest in the NFL and our opinion on college sports, specifically football!

Back with another MLB playoff update as Joe breaks down his mindset as a Yankees fan heading into Game 4 on Thursday night. We also touch on the Nationals and their impressive sweep over the Cardinals. We break down the new AP Top 25 and debate who should be contenders or not as the season progresses. Lastly, we talk about the Rutgers head coaching search and who we would like to see win the job

Lots to discuss as we dive right into the Week 6 slate for college football and give our thoughts on the results on some key results. Florida finally flashed their top 10 upside, Ohio State is a wagon, and we are cancelling UCF for the rest of the season. Joe gives his glowing review of the Yankees sweep with Minnesota, then we preview the 2 huge Game 5s in the NLDS. Lastly, Joe rants for the first time in a while about Kevin Durant

Full MLB episode here as we break down each ALDS and NLDS series. The Nationals advanced to play the Dodgers, do we think they have a chance or will the Dodgers continue their dominance? The Rays advanced to play the Astros, and Joe has a couple of hot takes for this series. Can the Braves or Cardinals be contenders, and are the Yankees the real deal? 

Lots to discuss this episode as we jump right into a not so eventful weekend of College Football. Topics include the big Notre Dame win, how good Ohio State is, and is it panic button time for Clemson or Alabama? Our long-standing outro has finally come to fruition, as Chris Ash has been relieved of his duties at Rutgers. Who is up next? We wrap it up with a quick prediction for both wild-card games on Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

Hope y'all missed us. Quick episode to get back into the swings as things, as we discuss everything college football. Talking points including where we went right and wrong with our previews of the Power 5 conferences, and some Heisman candidates we like moving forward

College football is officially underway, as we finally take a breath of fresh air and enjoy some football for the first time in a while. We talk Week 0 of the season, specifically Miami vs. Florida and if each team saw a rise or dip in stock. We wrap up our previews for the Power 5 conferences with the Big 12 and the Pac 12, and Joe has a specific hot take for the Big 12 favorite. We also take a quick look at Thursday night's Week 1 games to finish the episode

College football starts this weekend, which means the previews just keep coming. Is Alabama the best team in the country? Will Georgia contend for a national championship? Will the field be able to compete with Alabama and Georgia? We break it all down for you along with impact players for each team this season. We wrap it up with who we like to win the Heisman Trophy, including names like Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and some darkhorses that Joe thinks can make some noise.

College football rolls on here at LRT as we break down the entire Big Ten Conference. Main talking points include who the front runner should be for the West side of the conference, Justin Fields at Ohio State, and will Michigan live up to the hype? We give our takes and predictions for the landscape of this powerhouse conference.

It's college football season, and we are here to cover all of it. We start our conference previews in the ACC, where arguably the best team in college football resides in Clemson. We talk about the Tigers, some dark horses, and teams we don't see exceeding expectations.

It's been a while, but we are back. Lots to catch up on as we start with all the buzz surrounding the MLB Trade Deadline, including teams making big deals like the Astros, Reds, Marlins, and more. The NFL is officially back, as training camp is in session with a couple of key holdouts in Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott. We talk about that and the most recent news of Michael Thomas securing $100 million from the Saints. We wrap it up with a potential new segment where we react to some social media posts on hot topics in sports, as we break down the Jeremy Lin sob story and LeBron James losing his mind at an AAU game.

It was a long and much needed break, but we are back with a big episode for you all. We start off with the biggest NBA news, as Kawhi Leonard finally signed with the LA Clippers and the news of Russell Westbrook potentially being traded before the start of the season. We breakdown what it all means and who we see as the real championship contenders. MLB All-Star week has come and gone, with one of the most electric home run derbies we have seen in recent memory. Lastly, we talk about the USWNT winning the world cup and the debate that has stirred up online about their right for equal pay.

It's a massive back to back episode here as we bring on our favorite guest Tom Crincoli to discuss all the signings and trades of the NHL offseason, including the quick Devils & Rangers rebuilds, the Maple Leafs going all in this season, and some other teams who deserve some discussion. We also get into the AL and NL roster selections for the MLB All-Star game, which includes a rant from Joe on why Gleyber Torres should have been included. Lastly, the conclusion of this episode is absolute banana lands, we will keep it at that.

Huge episode here as we go through almost every single move made since free agency opened in the NBA on Sunday night. We get into the Nets huge moves, the Knicks disappointing signings, and go rapid fire with some teams we thought have done a great job so far. We wrap it up with a couple of rants (more like venting) which includes our beloved Knicks and some baseball.

Episode 20 features an extensive breakdown of the NBA & NHL Drafts, including our takes on some of the selections and their potential such as Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Jack Hughes, and Kaapo Kakko. We get into our favorite MLB teams and the storylines they have been making recently. We wrap it up with our favorite portion of the program, which is a very rare rant from Nick as he dives into the NBA Free Agency speculation including Ric Bucher and Andre Iguodala.

Quick one here as we dive into the Anthony Davis trade that occurred on Saturday. Are the Lakers going to win it all? How does this impact the league? Lots to break down here. We also touch on our New York teams, and Joe goes on a rant about something extremely unrelated to sports. Don't miss it

Massive episode here as we welcome back our great friend of the pod, Tom Crincoli to talk about the Stanley Cup Final. We break down the first 6 games, how we see Game 7 shaping up, and make our predictions. With the NHL Draft coming up soon, we discuss some of the prospects, including Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko, and others. Joe joins us after to talk about the NBA Finals while Game 5 was live. We talk about the first 4 games of the series, how important Game 5 is for the Raptors, and much more. Anthony Davis is officially on the trading block, and Sean Avery is making headlines. Lots to digest here, hope you guys enjoy.

We switch it up a bit this episode with very little sports going on, as we go through a snake draft of our starting 5 dream teams from the NBA. We debate the players selected and also give some honorable mentions. The Finals has heated up with Game 2 going to Golden State, and we break down that plus the rest of the series. We wrap it up with some French Open talk, as our tennis guru Joe gives his takes on the current state of tennis and who we see winning the men's and women's side of the major. Apologies for the audio in the middle, we were experiencing some technical difficulties for a bit.

We are finally back after a long, long MDW. We start off by breaking down some big college basketball and NBA news, with RJ Hampton committing to play professionally in Australia, some Kyrie Irving rumors, and major college players returning to school. We break down some MLB teams and how the season has gone. Joe wraps it up with his usual phenomenal rant, and Nick has some tweets you all should enjoy.

One of the shorter episodes here as the lottery has officially screwed the Knicks. We give our thoughts on what happened as well as break down the latest news regarding the New York Jets and give a quick update on the newest prospect in the MLB, Vlad Jr.

It's championship season as we break down all the huge series going on in the NBA including the Kawhi game winner, the Warriors advancing without Kevin Durant, and the Blazers improbable game 7 win on the road. We then welcome on our hockey analyst Tom Crincoli of Bush League Sports to tell us all about the East and West semifinals plus the current matchups we have, and he came prepared as he always does. Nick leaves the conversation for a bit as Joe and Tom talk about the most recent episode of Game of Thrones. We wrap it up with some current events and breaking news.

It took us a bit to recover from the Kentucky Derby, but we are back kicking it off with a lot of NBA news to get to. We cover each playoff series and who we see playing in the conference finals. The champions league has been absolutely bananas lately, as we talk about the semifinals for a bit. We wrap the pod up with a rant about a specific superstar, a couple concerns regarding recent storylines, and some positivity on the Daniel Jones situation.

Headlines include the Sean Miller controversy, James Harden, Noah Syndergaard making history, and the crazy stories surrounding D'Angelo Russell and Tyreek Hill. We bring on one of our closest friends Greg Forca to explain the horses in the Kentucky Derby and help you guys win a little bit of cash. He includes some recent form, post positions he likes, his winner, and much more. We wrap it up with some breaking news on the NBA and NHL playoffs and give our quick opinions on some of the series going on.

Huge episode here as we bring back our good friend of the program, Tom Crincoli from Bush League Sports. We talk NFL Draft with our favorite teams, including how the Jets performed, how the Giants brought misery to all their fans, and some teams we thought did well this year. Next up was Tom's area of expertise, as we break down the absolutely wild sequence of events the NHL playoffs have brought us. Last up is a brief talk about the NBA playoffs, as we finally start to get into the intriguing matchups and marvel at how amazing Damian Lillard is.

It's the eve of the NFL Draft, and the LRT guys are here to break it all down for you from top to bottom. Special guest Shawn Monaghan gives his insight and provides some hot takes that are sure to blow your mind. Discussion includes lots of top 10 analysis, where we feel all the top defensive players will end up, a couple of draft trades with the later picks that have potential, and much more. 

The NFL makes its return to the spotlight as we break down our favorite teams schedules game by game. We talk about the Jets ceiling with such a favorable schedule, what the Giants can do with a depleted roster, and much more. We wrap it up with some rants from both of us this time, as Nick finally finds the courage to think of a topic and Joe analyzes a new topic to LRT.

It's been a while, hope you missed us. On today's Locker Room Talk we talk about Tiger winning another green jacket and what is means for golf moving forward. We also discuss the MLB with the season in full swing *pun intended* with some NBA and NHL playoffs also in the mix. We wrap it up with some soccer and the huge upset that occurred, Joe's rant, and a speaking issue that had us laughing out loud.

It's a special episode of LRT as our close friend Tom Crincoli joins us to talk a little NCAA Tournament and share his hockey knowledge with the playoffs starting up this week. To start, Joe and Nick put too much confidence in the Red Raiders, as Virginia is officially the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball champion. Nick and Tom then dive directly into the first round, talking about some X-factors and who we believe will advance to the semifinals. We wrap it up with a couple hints at who we like to win the Stanley Cup. 

It's a quick turnaround here at LRT as we ditch the NCAA Tourney talk and dive into each division in the MLB. We go team-by-team (almost) and give our predictions on who we like to make it once all 162 games wrap up. Joe finishes the episode with a rant about the Michigan State situation.

In this episode, we dive right into the NCAA Tournament games. Immediate reactions to the incredible Auburn upset, the Michigan State win over Duke, and everything else NCAA related. Enjoy!

The NCAA Tournament hasn't been the best, but we break it down despite our tough picks for the first couple of rounds. We touch on the NBA / MLB and who we like to compete for their respective championships. To wrap it up, we install a new segment where we give each other the floor to rant for a bit.

In this weeks episode, we start off with the hot topic of Landon Collins and what the Jets & Giants should do for the draft. We touch on the new Bryce Harper contract, debate the conference tournaments in college basketball starting next week, and end with some Champions League discussion!

Welcome to Locker Room Talk, with your hosts Joe Esposito and Nick Mariani. In our first episode, we start with MLB Free Agency and how it will be impacted in the near future. Next up, the Pittsburgh Steelers and how we see them shaping up in terms of roster, coaching, and more. We touch on Johnny Manziel and what we think will happen with his future. We wrap it up with our favorite college basketball team heading into the tournament, and the ones we believe will struggle.