The Futile Exercise: Recent Episodes
The Futile Exercise
A scintillating podcast talking sports, pop culture and the culinary exploits of hip hop legends, young and old. Coming to you from our (insert adjective here) studio in Center City, Philadelphia.----Intro music brought to you by our good friends, RDGLDGRN (@RDGLDGRN)
It’s our 4th annual Bracketology special! We’ve got the tools you need to ace your bracket and win your pool this year. Buckle up, and let’s go for a magical college basketball ride together. We spend the first segment of the show breaking down how this year’s bracket came together in this first place—did the committee get it right? After that, we dive into the main event and make some picks! At the 41:00 mark, we’ll walk you through our bracket, starting at the Sweet 16 and ending with a surprising pick to cut down the nets in Glendale when this thing’s all done. Good luck, and godspeed with your NCAA tournament journey!
It’s our 4th annual Bracketology special! We’ve got the tools you need to ace your bracket and win your pool this year. Buckle up, and let’s go for a magical college basketball ride together. We spend the first segment of the show breaking down how this year’s bracket came together in this first place—did the committee get it right? After that, we dive into the main event and make some picks! At the 41:00 mark, we’ll walk you through our bracket, starting at the Sweet 16 and ending with a surprising pick to cut down the nets in Glendale when this thing’s all done. Good luck, and godspeed with your NCAA tournament journey!
It's one of the hotly anticipated shows each year: the Oscar's prediction special! Have we seen any of the films? No, not really. Do we have opinions anyway? Yes! Tune in to hear our takes on this year's nominations for the 89th Academy Awards and fill out your Oscar party scorecards. We somehow manage to bat a ridiculous percentage in this thing year after year, so enjoy!
Your goal for Super Bowl LI? DON'T LEAVE $$$ ON THE TABLE! Our annual Super Bowl preview gives everything from predictions about the big game, a forecast of Lady Gaga's halftime show, and all of the prop bets you can shake a stick at.
Whether you're an evil New England Patriots fan, or you're joining the masses on the Atlanta Falcons bandwagon, we've got you covered. In the words of Teddy KGB: "Pay that man...pay that man his money!"
If you enjoy the show, subscribe on iTunes and share it with a friend or two!
Another regular season in the books, another year goes by where the Bills and Browns miss the playoffs. It hurts, but that’s how this podcast came to be in the first place. Sadness aside, there are four teams remaining to battle it out, with four elite quarterbacks at the helm. We debate the merits of the Packers, Falcons, Patriots, and Steelers, and try to reconcile what the fan in us wants with what the analyst in us thinks will really happen. Two of these teams will have the opportunity to compete for Lady Gaga’s friendship at the Super Bowl, and that’s what really matters, after all.
In the second act of our 2-part-year-in-review special (with Darren White in studio!) we do what we know best and take a look at the year that was in sports. From Deflategate to Lochte-gate to being annoyed by the fact that everything has to be "something-gate" now, we talk about which sports stories from 2016 we'll remember years down the line.
It's time for our 2-part year-in-review spectacular with special guest, Darren White! In part 1, we spend some time looking at why 2016 will go down in infamy. We touch on the passing of prominent pop-culture and social justice icons, and dive into a discussion of how important artists have been (and will be) in a time of volatility. We wrap up with chatter around the best music of 2016 before heading into the sports world in Part 2 of the special!
Bowl season is upon us! As promised, we take a look at some of the most exciting matchups in the lead-up to the College Football Playoffs, and we dream of some of the games we'd love to see if we were the head honchos on the bowl committee. WWE stipulations work their way into those dream scenarios (naturally). For those of you who like to sprinkle a little cash on the games, we give you our top 8 picks for bowl season!
College football, sports betting, and the great "Elf on the Shelf" versus "Mensch on the Bench" debate are all part of this jam-packed episode. Enjoy!
Ethan and a loyal listener took a journey this weekend that could best be described as living a video game in real life. Detective work, fast thinking, and bold-faced lies all came into play, and he re-lives the story for us in the first part of this week's pod.
After that, we chat football. No matter how futile your team's playoff hopes may be, the phrase "They Have a Path" gives us something to cling to. With the final bye week, the NFL playoff picture is shaping up after all teams have played 12 games. We revisit our initial season predictions (crushed them) and project the road the next 4 weeks of football might follow. SO. MUCH. NARRATIVE.
Thanksgiving might be a challenging holiday to navigate this year, so to celebrate our 4th Annual Thanksgiving Spectacular, we go through our "Thanksgiving 2016 Survival Guide." We've got four chapters for you: One for every year of this extravaganza.
Tune in for the hottest of hot takes on "Friendsgiving," side dish strategies, and holiday table talk game-plans!
After a depressing World Series collapse by the Indians, Cleveland native Ethan is in need of some grief counseling. We talk it through and get him on the road to recovery in this week's episode. Come heal with us as we battle sports depression. Cubs fans? feel free to troll.
Afterwards, we hit one of our favorite annual topics: the Toy Hall of Fame! Inductions are around the corner, and we debate the merits of nominees like bubble wrap, transformers, and pinball.
Football is back! We take a swing around the league, giving you a division-by-division look at all 32 teams and their Vegas odds to win their respective divisions. Along the way we hit the top storylines and fantasy nuggets to help you dominate your league this year. Viva la football!
We are back with an NBA free agency pod for your weekend listening pleasure! We mainly discuss Kevin Durant's decision to join the Golden State Warriors, but also cover the greater effect this free agency season has on the league as a whole. We also would be remiss if we didn't cover two of the biggest nostalgia stories of the week, Pokemon Go and the new Blink-182 album. Enjoy!
We are back for the second week in the row! We start with Mike's description of the worst Mission Impossible movie ever. Then we follow with a discussion of the summer sports scene, and how we balance following actual games and off-season. We then listen to the local Icelandic TV call of the victory over Austria in Euro 2016, and discuss how the world needs more "homer" sports announcers. Finally, we go over our plans for the 4th of July weekend, and build our ideal 4th of July BBQ plate. Enjoy!
For the first night in the history of our show, the Futile Exercise is a little less futile. Lebron James did the impossible and brought a championship to Cleveland, and it happened in Ethan's lifetime! We talk about the emotions of Sunday's game 7, break down "The Block," discuss the biggest winners/losers of the series, debate Steph Curry's regular season MVP, and even assemble our "First-team All NBA Party Lineup" of NBA ballers we'd most like to party with after winning a 'ship.
One question remains, though...has JR Smith put a shirt on yet??
The Guys are back with the 3rd annual Bracketology special! We take a break from business school and a physics conference to bring you all the tools you need to ace your bracket this year. We cover the snubs, the teams who got screwed, the teams who got some help, and go through our picks from the Sweet 16 on through the national title. Will Buddy Hield "Kemba Walker" Oklahoma to the national title game? Will Kansas walk through the field? Will Fran Dunphy (the Temple coach) finally give in to his eyebrows and go full owl? This and more on the Bracketology Special.
The guys are back and feeling a little incredulous. Inspired by a "Katy Perry is actually JonBenet Ramsey" story on the unimpeachable news source that is the Facebook Trending Topics bar, we discuss our favorite conspiracy theories. Did we actually land on the moon? Did David Stern rig the 1985 NBA draft lottery? Are Sam Smith and Adele the same person? CAN STEVIE SEE?!?!?! All of this and more on the 64th edition of the Futile Exercise
We are back! After completely missing the Super Bowl, we are back with our annual Oscars special. We start with a discussion of the Grammys, and go through our favorite and least favorite performances. Then we get to the main event, Oscar predictions! What makes our predictions different from anyone else's? We haven't seen any of the movies! So if you want to win your Oscar pool, listen intently and follow our lead.
You're. Welcome.
Don't you dare be sour, because the Futile Exercise is back! It's a new year, yes it is, and the guys have a New Years resolution to use their Post power Ball fortunes to record more podcasts. In today's episode they discuss David Bowie's death and the phenomenon of using social media to mourn together. We also go into why the deaths of both Bowie specifically, and musicians in general affect us all so much. After the serious topic, they get back to their usual nonsense discussing the new WIAA student cheer restrictions, the NFL playoffs, and attempt to preview the year 2016. Enjoy!
This is how we do it. It's Wednesday night, and we feel alright. After a terrible IU/Duke game during which Ethan imbibed a few Great Lakes Christmas Ales, the guys decided to record the 1st edition of Futile After Dark. Come for Ethan's rant about people named Grayson, stay for Mike's rant about Rex Ryan, and Jaromir Jagr's truth telling.
In the THIRD ANNUALinstallation of the Futile Exercise Thanksgiving Spectacular, the guys talk turkey and ask the important questions: Will this be the year Ethan graduates from the kids' table? White meat or dark meat? What's the deal with green bean casserole? A little easy listening for your pre-Thanksgiving travels.
Programming note: Ethan is calling to the pod via cell phone, so the dulcet tones of his wonderful voice may sound a little different than what you're used to. Still sexy though. Still so, so sexy.
We're back after a week off. Ethan starts the pod by discussing the upcoming Pope vist, and we do a deep dive into the Pope's Wawa order. We recap some surprising results in the first two weeks of the NFL season, discuss which fan bases should be panicking, and give out some Fantasy Football advice. We also give out some more WINNERS in the "Candy Shop," discuss the NCAA's stand against daily fantasy, and we review Ryan Adams' reinterpretation of Taylor Swift's 1989.
Don't forget to join this week's fantasy contest on FanDuel! Go to www.facebook.com/futilepod for details!
The Guys are back with their second annual NFL preview! We don't know a thing about the about X's and O's of football, so instead we stick to what we do best...gross speculation. Our "analysis" includes bold predictions, deep league/free agent pick ups in fantasy football, and a new segment called "The Candy Shop" where we help you win some jelly beans with our picks for team totals and the week 1 NFL lines.
Don't forget to check the Facebook & Twitter pages to enter our weekly FanDuel fantasy league throughout the NFL season and wil some cash!
Wait...did Chris Carter really just say what we think he said? Yep. And it's all on tape. We discuss the most recent blunders in the NFL and NCAA world, which really could be a weekly segment at the rate they're going. There's plenty of room for nostalgia in this episode, too, as we reflect on our favorite "classic" posters from college & stories from our first ever concerts.
NOTE: We apologize for the few audio hiccups that you may notice in this episode. Moving the show to a long-distance format has brought a few technical challenges to the forefront, but we're working through them. We determined that a pod with a couple "skips" in it was better than no pod at all this week. Thanks for sticking with us!
The Guys are back for their second long-distance episode! We start the pod with a weekly update, and Mike's concern about premature fall beverages. Then we discuss the training camp altercation of Geno Smith and the J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! We continue to discuss our excitement for the return of fantasy football and the hard knocks franchise, and end our podcast with the REVOLUTIONARY discovery that history's most famous playwright loved the ganja. Enjoy Episode 56!
Our 55th Episode is coming at you via skype! Mike has left Ethan behind and moved to Ithaca...It's Gorges (Ethan writes these descriptions). We start the pod by discussing all that's changed in the last 2 weeks. Then we turn to the Ronda Rousey fight, and what else captures the nation's attention and dollars quite like 34 seconds in the octagon with the Rowdy one. Then, naturally, the podcast diverges into nonsense. We discuss the most troubling celebrity divorce of the week, Ethan's favorite TV show of the summer, and Philadelphia's propensity for robotic destruction. Enjoy the 1st of many long distance podcasts!
The guys are back for our 54th and last in-person episode for a while. We start by reminiscing on the 8th anniversary of our friendship (Facebook reminded us...we don't actually keep that on our calendars). We discuss what incentives teams could provide that would make us buy season tickets and laud the Indiana Pacers' new alternate "Hickory High" uniforms. Ethan goes on a fiery rant about a new commercial that's grinding his gears, and of course we discuss True Detective. We had a great time recording this episode; we hope you like it too!
They guys are back for an unprecedented 5th podcast in a row! We begin discussing the seemingly ever closer end of days! We're not saying that we have a better computer system than United Airlines or the New York Stock Exchange, but we're still here! We then discuss our fear of shark attacks, revel over the wonder that is hoagiefest, and debate Charles Barkley's go-to sub. We venture into the serious by discussing the US Women's national team World Cup championship, and end the pod covering the 3rd episode of True Detective. Enjoy!
The guys are back for their 4th week in a row! We start with an in depth dive into the second episode of True Detective, covering the depth of the 4 main characters, our scenes of the week, and give predictions on whether Ray Volcoro is dead or alive. If you are worried about spoilers the discussion ends around the 30 minute mark. Then we shift focus to the 4th of July and discuss our favorite Independence day traditions. Next, we continue the summer theme and we outline who we would want on our ideal music festival lineup. Finally we try to get our listeners pumped up for the Women's World Cup Final against Japan!
We are back for our third week in a row! The guys start the pod by recapping True Detective (episode 1), and make bold predictions for the rest of the season. We then dust off the Futile Fast Break to discuss 4 new rule changes across the NHL, NCAA, and the NFL. Next, in advance of the NBA draft, we provide the "Fan Guide to the NBA Draft if you care about neither the NBA or the draft" which includes draft fashion, family reactions, and of course the official Futile Exercise NBA Draft Drinking game. Finally we finish the pod with a discussion of the women's world cup, why the buzz doesn't match the viewership, and how that can be fixed. Enjoy!
In this week's episode, the guys celebrate their 50th episode! Ethan describes his experience being at game 6 of the NBA Finals, we discuss how much we love the Stanley Cup trophy, and we start a new weekly deep-dive into True Detective. We then continue to discuss our favorite Karaoke songs, and a shocking/awkward new reality show. This is a long one, but we hope you enjoy it. It's been great to share this with you for 50 episodes. Here's to 50 more!
The guys are back, with an NBA finals discussion! We start the podcast quickly recapping the FIFA arrests, and marveling at teh spectacular failure that is the FIFA movie. Then we move towards the NBA Finals where we discuss how surprised we are the Cavs are up 2-1, Dellavadova (or Delly as he is affectionatly known) and his contribution to the series, and exactly how special LeBron James has been. We then discuss the Triple crown winning horse American Pharoah, and reccomend the new album "Surf" by Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment. Lastly, we pay homage to the late great Dusty "The American Dream" Rhodes.
After a month log haitus, the guys are back with the 48th episode of The Futile Exercise! We catch up on each other's lives before diving into superstitions in sports. We then discuss the NBA playoffs, and compare the NBA and NFL drafts on our "excitement meter." We promise this will be the longest we ever go without doing a podcast, and we look forward to a very Futile Summer!
The guys are back after a week off, and in true Futile Exercise fashion EVERYTHING HAPPENED! They recap the last two weeks in the sporting world, and then rankd the NBA NFL MLB and NHL playoffs. They end the episode with a discussion about the great state of television, give some TV recommendations, and figure out their feelings about the new True Detective Season 2 trailer.
March Madness is down to 4 Teams, and the guys are pumped! They discuss their favorite moments of the tourney so far before debating which is the lesser of two evils: Kentucky or Duke. Then Ethan laments the dumpster fire that is the Cleveland Browns, and compares the franchise to components of a school lunch...Trust us, it makes sense. Finally, they end the episode with a conversation about guilty pleasures. Enjoy, BROTHERS!
There is no event better than March Madness. The guys dust off their lab coats and get into the bracketology lab to discuss the 2015 NCAA Men's basketball tournament. They discuss possible early round upsets, Duke's legitimacy as a #1 seed, and whether or not anyone can beat Kentucky. They then work through and determine their combined, futile bracket.
Whether you want to follow their picks or fade them, the guys encourage all to enter our bracket challenge at http://bit.ly/futilebracket15 and donate to the #HoopsForMentalHealth campaign at http://www.gofundme.com/hoops4mentalhealth All proceeds go directly to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The guys share harrowing stories from their two long weeks apart, then begin a discussion of how to improve the proverbial mousetrap that is the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. Even if you think March Madness is perfect, there are always ways to make it more interesting.
Finally, we introduce this year's Futile Exercise Bracket Pool: #HoopsForMentalHealth. Instead of giving money to your office pool, donate your would be entry fee to the National Alliance on Mental Illness at http://www.gofundme.com/hoops4mentalhealth. You can enter our FREE bracket pool through the link http://bit.ly/futilebracket15 and click "get started" to join the fun!
The guys are back with Episode 43! They begin by enjoying the beauty that is the start of spring training, then conversation quickly devolves into how this has been a week of general futility. An impromptu discussion on Brian Williams turns into a chat about internet trolls and the responsibility of celebrities on social media. We also cover the Philadelphia Ealges putting Riley Cooper on their calendar during February (Black History Month), and a less than PC promotion from the good folks at Krispy Kreme. Finally, we cover the biggest TV event of the weekend, The Oscars, and Mike gives his totally uninformed picks.
We are back with our second episode in as many weeks! We start by reviewing a wildly entertaining Super Bowl, and rehash the ending between the Seahawks and Patriots. We then discuss the best and worst of the Katy Perry and Missy Elliot halftime show. Finally we switch gears and encourage everyone to watch the musical TV spectacular that is the Grammys!
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!?! We're not. On the new episode Mike and Ethan discuss how this is the least enjoyable Super Bowl matchup we can remember. Both the Seahawks and Patriots are hateable for their own reasons, and we discuss why. We also talk about every story line from the Super Bowl including Deflategate, Marshawn Lynch's media antics, and Katy Perry's halftime show. Finally we do a Super Bowl prop bet pick contest and go off topic to euglogize the band Blink-182.
The Guys celebrate the new year by recapping their holidays and discussing the best day of the sports year (New Years day). We focus on how great the college football playoff has been, and Ethan gets excited about Ohio State's chances in the National Title game. Then we shift the discussion to the movement towards streamable television content, Gronk's party bus, the baseball hall of fame, and the best stadium giveaways of all time.
In Part 2 of our year in review, Mike Ethan and Darren discuss our favorite albums of 2014, our favorite TV shows of 2014, our men and women of 2014 in both sports and pop culture, and Mike and Ethan make their week 16 NFL picks.
The Guys are back for their 2 part 2014 year in review! Special guest Darren joins us to discuss our run ins with celebrities, Then we run through our best and worst things in the year of sports, pop music, and fashion.
The guys are back for the Christmas special! We discover Ethan is a bit of a grinch, and go way too in depth about what constitutes a "Christmas Movie". We also call Darren White, one of our favorite guests, for his last minute gift ideas. Finally, we bring back The Futile Fast Break to discuss the week in NFL press including Rob Gronkowsi's feline photo shoot and Marvin Lewis' "little" blunder.
The guys are back with their 2nd annual Thanksgiving Spectacular! They begin by discussing the start of the college basketball season, and talk about the awesomeness of the tip-off marathon. They then discuss Giancarlo Stanton's mamoth contract, and put 325 million dollars into perspective. After a discussion about Jaden and Willow Smith's New York Times interview, we cover our favorite Thanksgiving traditions, and vent about what Black Friday's have become. We will be back after Thanksgiving, have a great holiday!
It's the 1 year anniversary of The Futile Exercise! We thank our listeners, and reflect on the year that was. We then talk about the legitimacy of ouija boards, and find out what other toys we never got to play with. Then, we go into our NBA Preview. We discuss our favorite overreactions to the first week of games, and our bold predictions for the rest of the season. We then call our Fashion Correspondent, Mandy Ball, for her analysis of the NBA alternate jerseys.
The boys are back, and talking about sports. We start with a heartwarming story out of Sunderland of the English Premier League, then we discuss how awesome the college football season has been. We go over how excited we are for the playoff, and who we think is the Heisman favorite. Ethan then shares a story about his future in politics, and we discuss the incredibly serious and covert operation that is Trick or Treating.
In Part 2 of the Fall Beer Preview we focus on pumpkin beers, the most trendy of the fall beers. We try 4 different variations while discussing the pumpkin spice trend, whether the seasonal aspect of seasonal things makes them better than they are, and which season is best for beer.
After a couple week hiatus, the guys are back! To make it up to our listeners, we present a 2 part fall beer preview. We welcome our great friend Darren White into the studio to taste and critique 10 different Fall beers. In part 1 we drink 6 different Oktoberfest and harvest beers, while discussing Lil' John's "Turn out for what" video, open water runners, and bermuda shorts.
Fall is coming, and the guys are excited. They begin the pod discussing their love for Fall, and when is the right time to begin having pumpkin treats. They then continue their conversation from last week, by discussing how NFL fans can reconsile the fact they they love the product, but hate what is happening with the league. We eventually take our own advice and decide to continue on with mildly entertaining banter about discontinued foods, Fall Television, and provide this week's NFL picks.
The guys are back with their 30th episode! They start reflecting a bit on the past 30 episodes of The Futile Exercise, then transition to the big story of the week. They discuss the Ray Rice story in the context of how it has blown way past the sports community, and is now affecting the greater populace. They then transition to talk about how poorly the NFL has handled the case, and what should happen to Roger Goodell. Other topics discussed are LeSean McCoy's tipping habbits, fantasy football advice, and our week 2 NFL picks against the spread.
Football season is finally here! Instead of the usual picking of division winners, the guys start with their bold predictions for this upcoming NFL season. They then move to ask each other burning questions, both personal and impersonal, centered on fantasy football. They throw out a few pre-season NFL team prop bets, and make their Super Bowl Picks. Finally they bring back the guess the lines contest!
The guys spend the last podcast without football by discussing the weekend in Pop Culture. They compare Taylor Swift's "Shake it off" to Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda", then discuss Beyonce's performance at the MTV VMAs. Finally they switch gears to the Emmy's, and briefly talk about the most "controversial" part of the two shows before decing who would be the most fun to hangout with, movie stars, TV stars, or musicians?
The Guys are back! In this episode they give a retrospective on Robin Williams, then go in depth on why people should pay attention to the English Premier League. They start by giving general reasons why you should watch, then have listeners call in to give their best pitch in support of their favorite teams. Teams covered include Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Southampton, Manchester United, and Manchester City.
It's the slow period of the sports calendar, and that means the focus turns towards the off-field antics of your favorite athletes. The Guys talk about how athletes can be jerks, and discuss their first memories of when a childhood hero turned out to be a zero. The episode then turns towards a discussion of what features would be in our dream mansions, our favorite regional food chains, and the introduction of a new segment, "Why the NCAA sucks today."
After Ethan gets his chance to gloat about LeBron James, the guys celebrate their 25th episode by answering listener questions. Topics include Ray Lewis, James Rodríguez's post World Cup transfer to Real Madrid, Blake Bortles' girlfriend, and the timeless debate of Mila Kunis vs. Kristen Bell. The guy's then post their own questions about take-out tipping, and answer the question: just how awesome are Marshawn Lynch and Joel Embiid? Thanks to everyone for listening through 25 episodes!
NBA Free agency has hit full swing, and to cover all the terrible rumors, The Guys bring in a team of experts to discuss the decisions of LeBron James, Carmello Anthony, and Chris Bosh. We cover the awful state of journalism as exhibited by this past week of NBA rumors, and go over why Ethan is NOT A SAP for wanting LeBron James back. Also covered: Brazil vs. Germany in the World Cup semifinal, a preview of the World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina, and a look into ESPN Magazine's The Body Issue.
The World Cup is half over, and the guys recap the best and worst from the United States Men's National Teams march to Recife for their match against Germany. They recap the highs of Ghana and the highs and lows of Portugal, but not before they discuss the canabalistic actions of Luis Suarez. Then, in a new experiment, The Futile Exercise takes listener calls, discussing everything from biting, to american nationalism, to the subtle differences between Greek food and footballers.
The guys have world cup fever, and the only perscription is more podcast! After a debate about the best place to watch the world cup, the guys move onto some analysis of the United States. We cover everything from our expectations, Jurgen Klinsmen's comments, to key players. Then the guys call a few guests to find out how one chooses a team to root for, and which world cup jerseys are the best.
It's been a long time, we shouldn't have left you without a dope pod to step to. The guys get comfy cozy in their newly lit studio and freestyle their way through personal stories of the past couple weeks, all while giving insight into the NFL Draft, the NBA Draft lottery, and altercations at Vegas burger joints. #burgerjointfights
The internationally acclaimed Trace Bundy (aka the "Acoustic Ninja") stops by the pod for an awesome interview. Afterwards, the guys dissect the NBA playoff action (so far), and the Futile Fast Break makes its glorious return! The guys touch on Ben Affleck's gambling prowess, the NFL Draft, and a major anniversary for a beloved television show.
Fact: Donald Sterling is a racist. Also fact: There's a more important dialogue to be had on the issue. The guys do their best to tackle the hottest topic in sports, and then discuss how stupid you have to be to steal crab legs from the grocery store (cough, Jameis Winston, cough).
Love is in the air! The guys decide whether or not Ethan is a perfect match for Taylor Swift, then discuss the benefits of sports specific dating sites. Also, The guys put together a playlist honoring the release of NOW! 50.
The NBA and NHL playoffs are about to start, but does anyone care? The guys debate the merits of each league's playoff "buzz" and coverage. In an uncharacteristic twist, the guys tackle a more "serious" conversation about the role that sport plays in the wake of tragedy.
Mike tells the story of his near death experience last week, while Ethan, in the spirit of MLB Opening Day, lays down the guidelines for what makes the perfect "walk-up" song and defines the essential elements of the ballpark experience.
It's time for the big dance! The guys, expert bracketologists that they are, tell some NCAA Tourney stories and reveal their perfect bracket. Join the FREE listener bracket pool by visiting http://bit.ly/FutileBracket.
GOLD from the band RDGLDGRN joins the guys to share some stories from their US and world tours, and the guys provide some simple "fan etiquette" rules with baseball season just around the corner.
The Olympics are gone, but the Futile Exercise is not! The guys weigh in on potential rule changes in sports, MONUMENTAL changes in the breakfast game, and an interesting take on an Oscar "preview" discussion.
Everyone look out...it's a snow day! The guys talk about their favorite snow day memories, touch on the best Sochi Olympic storylines so far, fix the problem with NBA/NFL All-Star games, and get curmudeonly when discussing parents who pay too much allowance.
The 2014 Winter Olympics are nigh, so the guys break the Sochi games down like James Brown. A fair dose of Winter/Summer Olympics debate, #SochiProblems, network theme songs, and more. U-S-A! U-S-A!
In honor of the big game, the guys present: the Super Bowl Sunday Manifesto. Covering everything you need to know about prop bets, commercials, food choices, and the game itself. Expert analysis, indeed.
NFL's Championship weekend is behind us, so the guys give their "Futile Four" reactions to Sunday's action. What's more, a spirited conversation takes place about the pagaentry that is the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
And they're back! The Futile Exercise returns from an extended vacation, ready to jump into 2014 with gusto. The guys examine the NFL storylines for this weekend, take a peek back at 2013, and look at what's to come in 2014.
The guys share their sportsmen/women of the year, their male/female celebrities of the year, and they debate the musical merits of The Boss vs. The King of Pop in this beautiful holiday season.
The guys discuss last week's World Cup Draw and the US Team's chances, changing rules in sports to avoid injuries, Queen Beyonce's "F-You" fame status, and the most cursory background check EVER.
The guys are back to discuss an amazing weekend in college football (War damn Eagle), its BCS implications, and the most holy of bouncers.
The guys give thanks by ranking their top Thanksgiving foods, give a preview of the most important sporting event occurring on Thanksgiving, and make NFL picks.
The guys discuss which young NFL QB they'd want to build a team around, talk a little shooty hoops, and attempt to reduce the futility of the pod by having our first ever Futile Interview. At 35:00, friend and comedian Mickey McCauley (@Mickey_McCauley) joins the guys to discuss his comedy, distracting songs, and Muppet spoofs.
The guys' teams are truly futile, discussing the one-and-done rule in college basketball, and a FUTILE FACEOFF breaks out in the Futile Fast Break. Oh...and one of the guys is going to have to wear a Justin Bieber shirt. Pictures will be involved...
Introducing "The Futile Exercise" with your hosts Ethan Glor and Mike Troup. Diving into bullying in Miami, lifetime acheivement awards for 23 year-olds, and our collective gambling problem.