Jamal About Sports

On April 27, 2026, Jamal Hayden recaps a Knicks’ must-win Game 4 that tied their series with the Hawks 2–2, praising Karl-Anthony Towns’ 20-point triple-double, OG Anunoby’s finishing and shooting, Josh Hart’s defense, and key bench minutes while criticizing Jalen Brunson’s turnovers/hero ball and Mikal Bridges’ struggles and late-game benching; he notes Atlanta’s pressure, coaching adjustments by Mike Brown, and the series shifting back to MSG.
 
Around the NBA, he highlights Magic leading Pistons 2–1, Spurs–Portland competitiveness with Wembanyama’s dominant stat line and OKC/San Antonio as West favorites, Celtics’ inconsistency yet blowout of the Sixers, Rockets extending a strange series vs. a vulnerable Lakers roster, and Toronto tying Cleveland 2–2, calling the playoffs competitive and the play-in “wonky” but effective. He then grades the NFL draft, praising Cowboys, Eagles, and Ravens, approving Giants’ picks (including pass-rush and OL focus), critiquing the Jets’ trade-up for Cade Klubnik while liking their early selections, and detailing the Lions’ additions (Blake Miller, Derrick Moore, Jimmy Rolder, a small ASU CB, and a Kentucky WR trade-up).
 
He closes with MLB turmoil: the Red Sox firing Alex Cora despite his track record, criticizing GM Craig Breslow and roster decisions, then blasting the Mets after a Rockies sweep and prolonged losing trend, questioning analytics-driven lineup choices and roster construction under Steve Cohen/David Stearns, and arguing Mendoza should be fired so the Mets can hire Cora.
 
 
00:00 Show Open and Rundown
01:07 Knicks Collapse in Game 3
02:54 Game 4 Blueprint
04:08 Brunson and Bridges Under Fire
08:41 Knicks Adjustments and Defense
09:32 Home Court and Game 5 Outlook
15:29 Around the NBA Playoffs
17:03 Spurs Surge and West Picture
21:37 Celtics Sixers and Rockets Lakers
27:20 Draft Recap Begins
27:42 Cowboys Eagles Ravens Winners
29:46 Eagles Draft Praise
30:33 Ravens Hit Needs
30:50 Giants Edge Debate
32:18 Giants O Line Fix
34:07 Jets Draft Philosophy
37:03 Jets Late Trade Critique
37:50 Lions Tackle Plan
38:26 Lions Trade Up Logic
41:26 Lions Secondary Depth
44:21 Red Sox Fire Cora
47:32 Mets Swept By Rockies
51:16 Mets Roster Mismanagement
01:00:19 Fire Mendoza Hire Cora

On the April 21, 2026 episode of Jamal About Sports (sponsored by South River Watch Company), Jamal welcomes back longtime guest Aaron Green to preview Thursday’s NFL Draft and vent about New York sports.
 
They open with a frustrating Knicks playoff loss, criticizing Jalen Brunson’s hero ball and poor shooting, OG Anunoby’s missed dunk and free throws, Karl-Anthony Towns disappearing in the fourth, ineffective bench minutes from Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges’ inconsistency, Mike Brown’s rotations, and Knicks fans provoking CJ McCollum.
 
They then rip the Mets’ roster construction and defensive misalignment under David Stearns, complain about an 11-game losing streak, Devin Williams’ shaky closing, and discuss possible manager Carlos Mendoza hot-seat pressure, plus brief Yankees/Aaron Boone gripes. They close with draft principles (avoid trading up, top-10 tight ends, injury/character risks, and overvaluing traits), Cowboys and Lions draft targets/avoids, and a plug for the series Andor.
 
00:00 Show Intro and Sponsor
00:34 Aaron Green Returns
01:50 Big Show Preview
03:30 Knicks Collapse Reaction
04:44 Brunson Hero Ball
08:25 OG and Kat Disappear
10:48 Bench Unit Meltdown
14:05 Bridges Vanishes Again
15:41 MSG Villain Talk
19:06 Series Outlook and Coaching
22:56 Mets Misery Begins
23:19 Stearns Roster Critique
25:46 Alonso McNeil Nimmo Fallout
31:13 Manager Hot Seat Talk
33:54 Yankees Boone Rant
35:41 Yankees Early Season Notes
36:34 Yankees Third Base Woes
37:26 Ex Players Revenge Tour
38:47 Early Season Slumps
40:27 From Baseball To Draft
40:49 Draft Class Strengths
41:39 Darren Woodson Rant
44:06 Draft Rules And Red Flags
49:03 Tape Over Traits
51:34 Cowboys First Round Avoids
55:49 Cowboys Targets At 12
59:49 Lions Draft Fears
01:05:24 Lions Ideal Picks
01:08:07 Wrap Up Andor Plug

On the April 14, 2026 episode of “Jamal About Sports,” Jamal Hayden leads with Rory McIlroy winning back-to-back Masters titles, joining rare company and bringing his major total to six; he argues McIlroy could realistically reach eight to ten majors and breaks down Rory’s rollercoaster final round, key birdies, late composure at 18, and CBS’s confusing coverage.
 
Jamal then launches into an angry critique of the Mets’ 7–10 start, calling the roster moves and leadership (including David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza) disastrous, citing poor lineup decisions, lack of offense, pitching issues, Juan Soto’s impact, Francisco Lindor’s mistakes/slow start, and even criticizing the decision to retire Carlos Beltran’s number.
 
He closes with the Knicks finishing as the East’s 3-seed (53 wins) and previewing a difficult first-round series vs. the Hawks, emphasizing the need for Brunson-Towns action, stronger play from Towns and Bridges, bench contributions, and criticizing the NBA’s resting culture and loss of local first-round broadcasts.
 
 
00:00 Show Intro and Lineup
00:23 Rory Goes Back to Back
01:37 Why Winning Golf Is Brutal
03:47 Sunday Rollercoaster Charge
06:32 CBS Coverage Complaints
07:32 Rory the Player and Legacy
10:33 Stop Chasing the Next Tiger
12:59 Masters Vibes and Wrap
13:58 Mets Rant Begins
16:02 Offseason Moves No Plan
19:18 Ugly Start and Bad Bats
20:53 Stearns Track Record Slam
21:46 Soto Sparks Mets Malaise
22:35 Lindor Mental Mistakes
24:06 Lineup Chaos Analytics
26:32 Peterson And Rotation Woes
27:38 Questioning Offseason Moves
30:02 Beltran Number Retirement Rant
34:18 Knicks Hawks Playoff Preview
37:08 Bench Depth And Pressure
39:29 NBA Broadcast And Tanking Gripes
41:19 Wrap Up And Sign Off

Host Jamal Hayden recaps Michigan winning the men’s national championship over UConn, praising Dusty May’s team balance and noting May’s roots as a Bob Knight-era Indiana student manager, while criticizing UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma for a classless postgame accusation after South Carolina snapped UConn’s winning streak.
 
He also discusses former Nuggets title coach Mike Malone taking the UNC job, viewing it as a pro-style hire amid NIL and the transfer portal. Turning to the NBA, Jamal assesses the Knicks’ final three games and playoff positioning, argues the Mike Brown era hasn’t improved the team, and cites regression from Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges despite a key win over a hot Hawks team powered by late Jalen Brunson.
 
In MLB, he critiques the Mets’ roster construction and lineup decisions, defends Mark Vientos as the in-house first-base answer, and notes strong early starting pitching and bullpen results despite inconsistent offense and a Soto calf injury.
 
00:00 Show Intro and Rundown
00:31 Michigan Wins It All
01:49 UConn Coach and Final Thoughts
03:07 Dusty May Manager Roots
05:51 Geno’s Postgame Blowup
06:57 Winning Excuses Bad Behavior
10:49 Mike Malone Takes UNC Job
13:06 Knicks Coaching and Offense
15:35 Playoff Seeding and Schedule
19:59 Towns and Bridges Regression
23:10 Dolan’s Finals or Bust Dilemma
25:45 Knicks Beat Hawks
27:11 Brunson Fourth Quarter
28:48 Knicks Red Flags
31:46 Record Versus Elite
33:01 Mets Early Worries
34:41 Vientos First Base Case
37:33 Roster Construction Rant
43:20 Pitching Bright Spots
45:33 Lineup Fixes Wanted
48:25 Wrap Up And Next Shows

On March 30, 2026, Jamal and guest Chuck Gore cover multiple sports stories, starting with Hamilton College’s Division III ice hockey team upsetting undefeated Hobart 2–1 in overtime to win the NCAA championship.
 
They then break down UConn’s dramatic comeback win over Duke, including Duke’s late mistake, Dan Hurley’s antics, broadcast reactions, and Final Four picks (UConn-Illinois and Michigan-Arizona; they project Michigan vs UConn or Arizona vs UConn). They discuss college basketball’s declining fan experience due to one-and-done and the transfer portal, then pivot to golf: Tiger Woods’ latest vehicular incident and enabling, plus Gary Woodland’s Houston Open win after brain surgery and mental health struggles, and LPGA standout Hyo Joo Kim beating Nelly Korda again.
 
They vent about MLB opening the season midweek on Netflix, touch on early Mets/Yankees notes, and finish with the Philadelphia 76ers’ late-season surge, Paul George’s suspension return, Embiid’s health, and playoff positioning.
 
00:00 Show intro and rundown
00:45 Hamilton hockey stuns Hobart
02:58 UConn Duke instant classic
05:07 Duke villains and memories
09:43 Final shot breakdown
11:50 Final Four picks and bracket talk
12:37 Is college hoops broken
16:15 Tiger latest crash talk
23:51 Gary Woodland comeback win
25:58 LPGA streak and Nelly chase
27:38 MLB Opening Day Rant
29:41 Streaming Subscription Spiral
30:56 Yankees Off Day Weirdness
32:21 Early Season Overreactions
34:31 Mets Bullpen Mismanagement
36:17 Booing and Media Narratives
38:15 Bad Baserunning Decision
39:52 Sauna Phillies Viewing
40:41 Sixers Playoff Push
46:22 Knicks Not Contenders
48:11 Coaching Diversity Detour
51:56 Sixers Schedule Predictions
54:51 Final Wrap and Plugs

On the March 10, 2026 episode of “Jamal About Sports,” Jamal dedicates the show to his late parents, describing how his stepfather Jim Hayden introduced him to football and made him a Lions fan, then outlines the show’s contrarian, humorous approach.
 
He argues free agency is overrated versus drafting and developing, then lists five favorite NFL moves (including the Bengals adding Boye Mafe and Brian Cook, the Lions signing center Cade Mays, Joseph Ossai to the Jets, and Coby Bryant to the Bears) and five worst (including the Panthers’ Jalen Phillips deal, Raiders paying Tyler Linderbaum, and other costly signings).
 
He blasts the Lions for signing Isaiah Pacheco despite bigger roster needs. He reverses his stance on the World Baseball Classic, highlights strong rosters (especially the Dominican Republic), and offers Mets lineup/rotation predictions. He criticizes the Knicks’ recent play, praises the Spurs, and picks Celtics vs Spurs for the NBA Finals.
 
00:00 Show Intro and Dedication
00:40 How Lions Made a Fan
02:26 What This Show Is
03:20 Free Agency Reality Check
06:02 Five Best Signings
10:26 Cade Mays and PFF Rant
16:41 Jets and Bears Pickups
18:30 Five Worst Signings
25:15 Lions Sign Pacheco
30:09 Lions Tight End Depth
30:51 Montgomery Replacement Debate
32:08 Replacing Roy Lopez
34:26 Budget Secondary Targets
36:13 WBC Change Of Heart
37:05 Dominican Roster Breakdown
39:27 Venezuela And Puerto Rico
41:42 WBC Finals And Injury Risk
43:19 Mets Lineup And RF Battle
46:01 June Roster Predictions
48:25 Knicks Red Flags
56:00 Spurs To The Finals
58:01 Wrap Up And Sign Off

Host Jamal welcomes guest Chuck Gora, a diehard Philadelphia sports fan and former Division III football player, and opens with a note of respect for coach Lou Holtz.   
They recap NFL combine takeaways centered on unprecedented speed, discuss several prospects (including Ohio State standouts, tight ends like Kenan Sadiq, and quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier), and touch on rumors around Stefon Diggs.
The conversation shifts to the Rams trading for Trent McDuffie and the Lions dealing David Montgomery to Houston for picks and lineman Juice Scruggs, with concerns about Detroit’s direction. In MLB, they debate the World Baseball Classic’s injury risk and limited U.S. interest, then discuss Phillies optimism, a Phillies–Mets bet, and Mets roster “what ifs” versus the Dodgers’ payroll advantage. They close with NBA finals predictions, praising the Thunder and Celtics, questioning the Knicks, and discussing the Cavs and Sixers.

This week: This version of the USA Hockey team is nothing like the miracle on ice team, the Knicks are still in search of consistency, and some news and notes from the world of Golf.
 

This week: We break down the Eastern and Western conference leaders in the NBA; the commissioner pretends to care about the tanking problem, and my 3 keys to the Knicks playoff success.

This week: The Super Bowl goes the way I thought it would, the Knicks make a savvy trade, and the Mets are hoping, not planning on 2026 being a good year. And we have our first official sponsor!