Replacement Level Podcast

Don't get your wig split.

Recapping the day that was at Citi Field in New York, where the Mets beat the Blue Jays, and SportsTalk beat his mental demons....

We will never forget 12/8/24. It changed our lives forever. Happy Opening Day, and Let's Go Mets. 

In which SportsTalk and his compatriots rank the top 50 players in baseball. We don't really care about your opinion but expect you to react to ours.

Juan Soto is a New York Met. Rejoice. SportsTalk, David, and Jake make sense of a brave new world. New York, once again, is orange and blue. So, we have that going for us, which is nice.

SportsTalk and David discuss the implications of Juan Soto going to the Red Sox and the landscape of the College Football Playoff. They are interrupted when friend of the program Steve Perrault seemingly narrows the race down to two. 

Jake and SportsTalk do a Mets therapy session ahead of Game 3 of the NLCS. It felt okay. We're both very nervous. I keep biting my nails. The Mets are 7 wins away from a title at time of publish. Apologies to J. Cole.

Celebrating the divine week that was for the New York Mets. Thanks to Alex, David, Simon, Jake, and Kim, and thanks to anyone who has ever taken even a second to care about what we have to say about sports. It's nice of you.

This is what it's all about, folks. SportsTalk in its purest form. Baseball in the heat of the pennant race and football as the season is taking shape. Mets, Dodgers, Braves, Padres, and probably quite a few things we shouldn't have said. That's the SportsTalk way.

To my friends and all of the sports memories we made.......until next summer...........

SportsTalk misses David, and is stuck with Dean Morielli. They review the 2024 Lindy's Sports Fantasy Baseball Revue, a nearly-two hour affair, before offering predictions for the rest of the baseball year. It's SportsTalk, it's you, it's a lot of fun…….share with your friends!

In which SportsTalk and David take on the roles of GMs of the Mets and Red Sox, respectively, and are forced to record until they consummate a deal. Final trade: Mets receive RHP Nick Pivetta INF Mikey Romero Red Sox receive DH/RHP Nolan McLean INF Ronny Mauricio RHP Kade Morris

Well, the first half has come to an end, but they're still playing, for some reason. Wouldn't it kind of make more sense to schedule the All-Star Game around the Fourth of July, especially now that Chestnut isn't doing the Hot Dog Eating Contest? Or, at least, use the momentum from the Fourth of July (packed ballparks, American exceptionalism, etc.) to lead into All-Star Week! I don't know. Anyway, it's been an interesting first half around baseball, and we have a lot to talk about. Join us, won't you?

Viktor didn't win, but that's okay. He'll have other chances. We're proud of him, and can't wait to see what the future holds. We also talk about the Mets and the Red Sox. This better be our most-listened-to pod of the year.

In which we use SportsBlog/Talk as a sort of PR modem for our original enterprise, HoviTracker. Edited down from much more incoherent nonsense.

In the SportsTalkiest episode in a while, Jackson makes his debut! This will probably be his final episode, unless the Dolphins have another late-season collapse up their sleeve. The gang (SportsTalk, Jake, and David) recap The Masters, mock Clifford Roberts, preview the NBA Playoffs, discuss the happenings around MLB, and discuss the wage gap. It's loaded! Listen now.

The New York Mets have hope for 2024. Rejoice with SportsTalk and Dean (and special guests!) for the first 20 minutes, then listen to SportsTalk and Dean ramble for the final 15 minutes. It turns out: When we don't have any sports to talk about, we have nothing to talk about at all!

You already know what time it is. Three-ish weeks to Opening Day. Weather warming up. David home for spring break. It's the SportsTalk 50ish. Full rankings here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1krwj316KcFpkqwj7ojGwiAQSd8C80eZKK4AN_p0JuMQ/edit?usp=sharing. Anyone with link can view. Shortish article coming in the next few days.

It's the year in review show. Kim, David and SportsTalk lambast baseball owners writ large, and remember some of the highlights of 2023. Screw you, Scottie Scheffler! Enjoy, happy holidays, and happy new year.

It's a solo SportsTalk, because SportsTalk's ear is bothering him and he's irritable. Look at this RosterResource page and tell me why the Mets shouldn't sign Shohei Ohtani or trade for Juan Soto: https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/mets. You will be wrong.

Who likes sports and likes to talk about them? The good folks from SportsTalk. Who roots for the Red Sox and also the Mets! The good folks from SportsTalk. Who has a nice mom and also a nice dad? The good folks from SportsTalk. Who hasn't been to Disney in almost a year? The good folks from SportsTalk. The good folks from SportsTalk. The good folks from SportsTalk. The good folks from SportsTalk. The good folks...from SportsTalk! (whistle) That's the new SportsTalk theme, to be sung to the tune of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme. Enjoy the show!

This episode of SportsTalk has been adapted from the critically-acclaimed David Okula Sports Talk Show on the RIU Radio Network. It features now days-old Ryder Cup talk, a preview of the NFL week currently happening, and an allusion to a Mets news event that occurred this afternoon. Please enjoy.

The SportsTalk NFL Preview Show. It's so much more coherent than you'd think. I would post the over/under picks here, but I don't want to spoil anything. If you like this, and you're looking to hire a sports talking head, give me a job!

SportsTalk and his compatriot step into the roles of the GMs of their two favorite teams. What follows is an emotional journey of heartfelt goodbyes and new beginnings. We present....Deadline Dealings: A Star Wars Story (all improvised, if that wasn't already clear).

Bleakness and the 2023 (not to excuse the 2006-2022) New York Mets. Is this the final SportsTalk? Only time will tell. Credit to @MedInPanicCity on Twitter, I think, for the title.

SportsTalk and his brave compatriot, the host of Late Night with David: Thursdays on WRIU2, welcome Kim and Jake to the show, both of whom say off color things. We cut most of them. We talk baseball, baseball and more baseball, as we all start to come back around on the Mets. The Red Sox continue to Red Sox, and look like they might sell at the deadline despite being within striking distance of a playoff spot. Shocking. Anyway, apologies for anything contained within.

SportsTalk and David honor Viktor Hovland's run at the Wanamaker Trophy, in a special breaking news-ish edition of SportsTalk: The Podcast. Basically, that means we only cover the one topic.

Weird episode. Weird original episode description. Hopefully a very ho-hum baseball season, ending with the pre-season National League favorite hoisting the trophy. It's the SportsTalk season preview.

First Jake, David and SportsTalk, then SportsTalk and David alone, rank the top 50 (52) players in baseball. Link to the list here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WuVnHi1IRT697cx4zHcSPUaorm-0oDh7W5B3w34haus/edit?usp=sharing Blog with explanations to come. For now, enjoy the audio.

It's David and I, we're back! Your two co-hosts. We just hadn't really recorded an episode in a while, so David and I just talk for a while, mostly about boring sports (football). Baseball season is right around the corner, and we don't talk about it much. Stay tuned in the coming weeks, when we start the baseball preview. The SportsTalk 50 will drop late this month, followed by division previews, and some other thing that I haven't decided yet. Rock and roll, sports fans.

I don't remember the context for the title. We spend the first half hour talking the debacle that was Carlos Correa to the Mets, then spend the next 15 minutes reciting the debacle that was Carlos Correa to the Mets for John, who joins us about halfway through, then spend a since-deleted third portion breaking down the Golden Globes and the psyches of our friends. It's the first episode of SportsTalk of the New Year, and it doesn't disappoint. Talk to you all when my brain doesn't feel like scrambled eggs (serious. Not trying to be quirky).

You're not going to understand the title of the episode. For the first part, Kim drivels on about whatever it is Kim is known to drivel on about, then Jake joins and we get into the true 2022 recap and 2023 predictions. Kim tries to keep us on track, and instead talks about the play she saw on Tuesday and how much she hates Mike Francesca for reasons people don't typically hate Mike Francesca. It's astonishing we've come so far in spite of who raised us. SportsTalk, the final episode of 2022, recorded from the Okula Bunker in Westhampton. I can assure you, we will be better next year.

It's the 17th episode, so you know what that means: it's all about Keith! Non-stop Keith, for 50 minutes. Give it a listen, if you want to hear all about that slick-fielding, mustachioed first baseman of the 1980s, Mex!

In which we lambast the greater online baseball media presence for a full half hour, recap the Sunday that was and don't mock any of our formerly close friends or associates. That lives in the SportsTalk vault forever. Not featuring: David, who has moved on to greener pastures. Listen to him 9:30-10:30 on WRIU2.

The original title of the episode was going to be "It's Actually an Impressive Bush," which should tell you what you need to do. We recap Old Timer's Day for maybe 30 seconds, and spend 6 minutes talking about something that is going to seem so obscure to you, because I had to chop out 2 minutes. It's SportsTalk...please enjoy.

We talk about the trade deadline! And other baseball related topics. We're huge fans, so this is pretty much par for the course. If you like baseball as much as we do, I really recommend tuning into this episode, and episodes to follow. Thanks so much for listening, Mom!

In which I spend almost an entire hour talking to myself. The conversation does not stray from baseball: All-Stars, Home Run Derby, retired numbers, and the trade deadline. It's actually astonishing that I didn't even think to call anyone on the phone. Anyway, yeah. I was going to say hopefully I didn't ramble too much, but isn't that kind of the whole point?

Jake's back and it only took two takes for him to not say anything totally off color. We never really talk about anything topical in this episode, but what else would you come to expect from your favorite zany podcasters? My actual golf pick is Jordan Spieth for no reason whatsoever, and Phil to tweet or like something outrageous by week's end.

Welcome to the 11th edition of SportsTalk, AKA the first edition of SportsPod, because I'm an idiot and couldn't come up with that on my own. In the most "guys sitting around on a couch saying 'bro...we should start a podcast'" episode you'll ever hear, we discuss potential solutions for the Saudi Golf League for some reason, and also a bit about Tylor Megill and $/WAR theory (I assure you, we are not in favor). There's some basketball and bassoon talk mixed in as well. It's a full SportsTalk, coming at you right....now.

Come one, come all to Yankee Stadium to see your 27-time World Champion, New York Yankees! Up the middle we have Aaron Hicks, who has not played a full, healthy, and good season in a half-decade, in center. At short we have Isaiah Kiner-Falefa who, fun fact, was a catcher as of two years ago and has never posted a slugging percentage above .400! At second is Gleyber Torres, who slugged ONLY .366 last year and is ALREADY 25 years old. But hey, remember when he pounded all of those juiced balls into the short porch at Camden Yards? Yeah, that doesn't exist anymore. And finally, last but certainly not least, you know him, you love him, the heir apparent to Austin Romine...clear that spot in Monument Park for NUMBER 38! BEN....RORTVEDT! (The baseball season preview show. Enjoy.)

Welcome back to SportsTalk. We wrap up the top 50 players in MLB with numbers 29 (I think) through 50. David does the heavy lifting because Sean was feeling very anxious and tired and that should be okay with you people, god. It's not his best performance, so direct all complaints about the list to David. Folks, this one was for you, because truth be told neither of us felt like doing it, so you better enjoy the hell out of the back half of our top 50 list. Link to list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVDW1AHCqgqSXTrgNGFy7rsiBWHYDJ6rTm6J52SRwY/edit?usp=sharing And stay tuned later this week, for when I release the full Top 50 Breakdown on SportsBlog, SportsTalk's accompanying website.

(Disclaimer: I had a really good description typed out, but Spotify deleted it, so you get the shorter, less wordy version. You're welcome). In this episode, we rank the top 27 players in baseball (we'll finish the rest of the top 50+ later this week), rail against the Rays model (kinda, mostly just lament the fact that their shit works), briefly discuss how MLB doesn't actually care if games are played so long as they are making as much money as humanly possible in the long run (that's what I'm stumbling over around the five minute mark), and preview an epic Kyle Schwarber Showdown later this week. You and me and David, SportsTalk next 80 starts...now. Link to rankings: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgVDW1AHCqgqSXTrgNGFy7rsiBWHYDJ6rTm6J52SRwY/edit?usp=sharing

SportsTalk is back baby, and we're doing more sports than ever. Baseball Prospectus released their annual guide to the 2022 season last week, so in true SportsTalk fashion, we rip off another podcast's segment and name baseball players based on their comment in the annual. Recurring guest Jake makes some off-color remarks, and we introduce Simon, who says a grand total of 7 words. It's SportsTalk, it's you, it's me, it's not our best work, but it has a certain vintage 2018 vibe that I think you'll like. Enjoy.

Here's the thought that I meant to finish at the end of the episode: what really matters in my sports journey is the pursuit of that World Series title. That is the overarching journey. Once that is accomplished, there's nothing left for me to conquer. Sure, I may still watch and care, just as I watch and care about fantasy football. But this is really all about winning the World Series, at which point I can put all of the pain and emotional rigmarole that I put into sports in the rearview mirror and start to care about things people actually care about, like the arts or whatever. Anyway, it's a great show. Jake and I break down our recent fantasy championship, in which he won and I was left despaired, but we do so in a very constructive and interesting way. If there's too much inside baseball, sorry, but not really. We also get meta about sports in general, and make fun of more than a couple friends and family members. It's an action-packed episode of SportsTalk, ready for your consumption.

SportsTalks fans everywhere have been begging for a year-in-review show, and we finally deliver. We recap the year in sports (in moments), predict next year's top moments, then dive into the magic of college football bowl season. There's so much sports, and only so much time, so we cram a little golf in the middle and the Baseball Hall of Fame at the back end, before we turn to Jake for a little reminiscence on the 2012 Angels and a news break at the very end of the show. That's the summary, that's another year of SportsTalk, and we look forward to carrying the traditions of SportsTalking on with you in the new millenium.

So...this is not a full episode. But like, we will eventually release a full episode again. Maybe. In the meantime, we can't wait for Spiderman. Love you guys. Keep listening.

Yeah, uhh, well, enjoy. All due respect to the Remy family and to anyone else besmirched in this episode.

What's up Sports fans, we're back and we're ready to talk some ball. I welcome David back with open arms, because talking for an hour straight takes a lot out of a man, and we have plenty to discuss. Labor disputes, the Mets, the Red Sox, the WORKS. This is a very serious episode because we're very serious sports fans, and we actually get even more serious the more you share the show with your friends. So if you're a very serious sports fan, like us, and love to hear very serious sports talk about sports, please like, share and subscribe, and we'll be back to talk some more sports probably sometime around Opening Day.

Doing his best impression of the traitor that once wore #50 for the Red Sox, David has quit on our team. I allude to his potential return, but he has split my heart in two. It's not happening. So I press on, alone, breaking down his Red Sox and their six game defeat in the ALCS. I don't revel in that nearly as much as I should have, instead opting to passively-aggresively nitpick the manager for a half-hour. Then, we launch into a postseason breakdown digression, before I finally run out of steam around the 50 minute mark and end things four minutes early. It's SportsTalk, it's you, it's me (and only me), and we'll probably see you right back here tomorrow when David makes his triumphant return. In the meantime, enjoy.

If you loved the first edition of SportsTalk: The Podcast, you're probably going to love episode two, because your name is probably Kim Okula. The guys who love sports are back at it, breaking down the Red Sox, and by that I mean David is breaking down the Red Sox while SportsTalk is breaking down, emotionally. There is a ton of talk about the best sport, hockey, before we briefly digress into an aeronautical discussion (do astronauts have anything to do with aeronautics? I don't know, and I don't care.) It's SportsTalk, episode two, and it's coming to a podcast service near you right....about.....now.

Live from Fenway Park, it was the sports guys from SportsTalk. They talked about football (confusing) for a full half hour. Justin Herbert is good, and Daniel Jones is better than you might think! Then they get into the huge game tomorrow, Red Sox and Yankees. It will take place right behind them, in Fenway Park. Actually, in front of them. They were sitting on the Green Monster. They will be sitting there for the game tomorrow as well! Anyway, Red Sox, Yankees, Nate Eovaldi, and Cody Ross, all in one podcast. Then, in the final segment, SportsTalk calls for the firing of Sandy Alderson because he is bad at his job and isn't a good dude. Steve Cohen is also bad. The Mets should get good players, too. SportsTalk out. Tune in next time when we talk more sports from an exotic location.