The Beat LA Podcast

Matt and Paul are back and this week the sports world is serving up chaos on every front. The guys dive into the San Francisco Giants and ask the question every fan is wrestling with: are they actually worth watching right now? Matt argues that they're still one of the most entertaining soap operas in sports, while Paul breaks down why Buster Posey has managed to break his heart. They discuss Bryce Eldridge, Jung Hoo Lee, whether t...

Matt and Paul are back with another chaotic Bay Area therapy session, this time joined by one of the fastest-rising Bay Area sports creators on the internet, Dylan Is A Dragon. Before getting to Dylan, the guys catch up on Matt’s bizarre email invite to try out for a professional Greek basketball team, Paul attending what felt like a real-life Succession wedding in Boston, the death of Spirit Airlines, Timothée Chalamet choos...

Matt and Paul are back with another great interview, this time with former ATP Pro and one of the most connected insiders in tennis today, Justin Gimelstob. From winning mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and French Open with Venus Williams, to playing Davis Cup and now working across the business and storytelling side of the sport alongside Andre Agassi, Justin has seen tennis from every angle. 

The guys kick things o...

Matt and Paul are back, checking in after time on opposite coasts. Matt returns from New York, Paul from San Francisco, both coming off directing work they mostly can’t talk about. The guys open with a left turn you didn’t see coming, diving into Broadway with Matt’s review of Dog Day Afternoon starring John Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, plus a quick hit on Death of a Salesman. Not exactly the usual Beat LA bea...

Fresh off a trip to Tennis Paradise, Matt and Paul return from the BNP Paribas Open in Palm Springs. Matt was busy scouting talent, keeping a close eye on Emma Raducanu and Anastasia Potapova, while Paul focused on the real talent, catching Novak Djokovic, Jack Draper and Frances Tiafoe. The guys check in, trade stories from the desert and pay a quick tribute to Chuck Norris before getting into it.

(8:28) Then Matt and Paul sit down...

Fresh off a trip to Deer Valley, Utah, Paul joins Matt to check in on Giants spring training, the NFL Combine and what the 49ers might do in free agency. The guys also break down the Warriors post–Jonathan Kuminga trade vibes and try to make sense of Kristaps Porzingis latest health saga.

(15:48) Then Matt and Paul sit down with film producer, tennis aficionado and SFFILM board president Todd Traina for a wide-ranging conversa...

Matt and Paul are back in the saddle, checking in on life, the Super Bowl hangover, and what the hell has happened since the last pod. Paul gives us a tutorial on Sam Daronld's grandfather, the legendary Dick Hammer. (5:59) Producer Nick Conrad, fresh off working another Super Bowl, gives his report from San Francisco, the halftime show, Bad Bunny and the best parties. 

(11:55) The guys dive into an Olympics edition of Pet Peev...

In this year-end episode, Matt and Paul close out 2025 the only way they know how: big takes, Bay Area chaos, and a full-blown Best of the Year breakdown.

The guys open with the San Francisco 49ers, asking the only question that matters: are we headed for the #1 seed or Wild Card City? They unpack Jauan Jennings weekly trash talk, whether this season is Kyle Shanahan’s best coaching job of his career, and if Brock Purdy has th...

In this episode, Matt and Paul open with the state of the Bay. The 49ers are suddenly surging heading into the bye week, Jauan Jennings is talking like a WWE wrestler, and Kyle Shanahan looks like a coach who finally grew up and learned how to adapt. The guys also dive into the Warriors, who are stuck with a stagnant offense, no self-creation and the growing sense that the locker room might be tuning out Steve Kerr. Then it is Gian...

In this episode, Matt and Paul open with the San Francisco Giants hiring Tony Vitello. Is this the bold reset the franchise needed or a beautiful disaster waiting to happen? The guys dive into what this means for the Giants future and why Paul believes Buster Posey is about to transform into the official free agent whisperer. Then the guys move to the state of the 49ers. Is this team still in the playoff hunt or are we staring stra...

Matt returns from New York empty-handed and Paul is furious, but there’s no time for gifts because the 49ers rollercoaster is officially back in freefall. The guys break down the emotional trauma of being a Niners fan: losing Fred Warner for the season, the weekly “who dies next” anxiety, and whether John Lynch should make a desperation trade or ride it out. They debate Statue of Liberty Mac Jones, the return of G...

We’re back! The guys dive straight into one of the wildest 49ers wins of the Shanahan era. (6:52) It’s a full-on lovefest with returning guest and diehard Niners fan Rawson Marshall Thurber, director of Dodgeball, We’re the Millers, Red Notice and the upcomingVoltron. Matt and Rawson were both at SoFi for the game and the fellas break down how Levi’s South took over the stadium and how a battered roster stra...

(1:07) Matt and Paul are back from summer break. Paul braved the Grand Canyon rapids, Matt sipped cocktails at the US Open and just like that… it’s football season, baby! The guys break down a wild 49ers win over the Seahawks: Brock Purdy looked like Montana, Jake Moody sent everyone on a roller coaster, and then got released the next day. Did this pod speak it into existence? We think so. You’re welcome. The def...

Matt and Paul are back in San Francisco and holding court from Original Joe’s in North Beach. Paul previews his next adventure, a trek to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, before the guys pull out their crystal ball to predict what’s next for the 49ers, Warriors and Giants.

Later, they welcome Bay Area news veteran Mike Mibach, the evening news anchor at KTVU Channel 2. He’s a proud St. Ignatius alum and lifelong Gia...

In this episode, Matt and Paul sit down with San Francisco Giants legend Rich Aurilia for an all-timer of a conversation. Straight from the back booth at Original Joe’s in North Beach (5:59).

They talk about Rich’s Brooklyn roots, growing up a Mets fan rooting for the Bad Guys during their ‘86 World Series run, and his journey from St. John’s University to becoming an All-Star shortstop in the Show. He shares...

In this very special milestone episode, Matt and Paul celebrate 50 episodes of The Beat LA Podcast the only way they know how, by interviewing each other and emotionally oversharing for content. But before things get deep, they play the hits. They talk about the San Francisco Giants and try to figure out what exactly is going on with this team. Is Rafael Devers just in a slump, or is he really the diva Red Sox fans warned us about?...

Paul returns from Paris and Monte Carlo, dodges Jimmy Butler in the South of France and reports on attending the French Open. He brings back gifts for Matt’s big birthday, but the biggest gift of all? The San Francisco Giants going full blockbuster and landing Rafael Devers. We break it down: the trade, the contract, the power shift. Is this Buster Posey’s flex? And why teams wouldn't do this deal with Farhan. Can Dever...

It’s the Tennis Show—aka Paul’s Super Bowl—but first, Matt recaps his recent trip to New York, where the city’s energy nearly broke him. From watching delirious Knicks fans lose their minds in the streets to pillaging through the night at legendary spots like Finnerty’s (yes, bars stay open until 4am), Matt realizes he might be aging out of NYC nightlife. Still, he gave it a valiant effort and li...

Paul is back from Korea and Japan—and he didn’t come empty-handed. He brought gifts and tales from abroad, including how he ended up on the Jumbotron at a Yomiuri Giants game dressed as a samurai, pitching lemonade to a stadium full of fans. Just another Tuesday for Paul.

Matt kicks things off by recapping the dramatic election of the new Pope in this year’s unofficial Pope Draft. The guys debate which character fr...