A New King of Clay?

Hosts Alex Kirshner, Ben Lindbergh and Lindsay Gibbs discuss Carlos Alcaraz’s dazzling comeback win over Jannik Sinner in the men’s French Open finals. Then they welcome Kim Ng, the commissioner of the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League, to talk about all things pro softball. They also speak with professor and author Neil Longley about some of the reasons Canada’s Stanley Cup drought has persisted for so long. Finally, Alex has an Afterball on the implications of the House v. NCAA settlement for athletes like star softball pitcher NiJaree Canady. On the bonus episode available exclusively for Slate Plus members, the panel discusses how analytics are reframing the way we think about baseball defensive numbers, one year after Willie Mays’ passing.  French Open Finals (2:18): Carlos and Coco win. Women’s Pro Softball (21:16): What’s to come for a fledgling league? The Stanley Cup (45:23): Can the Oilers break the curse? Afterballs (1:04:19): The House v. NCAA settlemen (Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad-free.) Want more Hang Up and Listen? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page, or visit slate.com/hangupplus to get access wherever you listen. You can email us at [e-mail]. Podcast production and editing by Kevin Bendis, with production assistance from Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices