To A Tolerable Degree: Recent Episodes
Fritz Baldauf and Kris Pursiainen
Just because Kris Pursiainen of Knicks Sports Illustrated and Knicks Film School and Fritz Baldauf, host of the Das Fan-Erlebnis Podcast on German soccer's fan culture, have never met before and live on opposite sides of the country doesn't mean you can't listen to them debate sports and get on each other's nerves (don't worry - it's always to a tolerable degree).
Fritz is from San Francisco and a huge 49ers, Warriors, SF Giants, and FC Bayern Munich fan going to Connecticut College next year for competitive sailing; Kris plays no competitive sports but is known at his local park in New Jersey for his shooting ability and is a diehard Knicks, NY Giants, Mets, and Liberty fan going to Fordham University next year.
See how this dynamic duo introduced to each other by a former MLB player take on all things sports here on To A Tolerable Degree.
You can find us on twitter @krispursiainen and @baldauffritz. Feel free to tweet at us with any questions you want us to address on the pod!
Fritz and Riley are back after awhile to preview Super Bowl 58 between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Before diving into the game, they look back at the AFC and NFC title games, where it went wrong for the Ravens and Lions, whose loss was worse, and the future outlook for both conference runners up. Then, they dive into the Super Bowl, analyzing the strenghts and weaknesses of the Niners and Chiefs. At the end, we give our Super Bowl predictions and MVP picks.
Ravens talk: 1:40
Lions talk: 27:30
Chiefs talik: 48:45
49ers talk: 1:11:20
Picks: 1:31:30
Fritz, Kris and Riley are all back together to discuss Damian Lillard's trade request, and how it affects the Blazers, Heat and the league as a whole. Next, they move on to discuss summer league, focusing on Victor Wembanyama and his projections going into the season. Finally, they do a quick stock watch on contenders such as the Suns, Lakers, Warriors and Celtics after their respective offseasons.
Kris and Riley are back again with a breakdown of the latest NBA drama. Trades, NBA draft talk, and much more!
Kris and Riley are back with a breakdown of the first two games of the Nuggets v Heat NBA finals, what they expect to happen moving forward, and who they are picking for game three! Then, the two discuss a plethora of different NBA draft prospects, as well as discussing potential Chris Paul landing spots after news of his release broke during the recording of the episode. Enjoy!
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to preview Super Bowl LVII, give their favorite props, and reflect on Conference Championship weekend.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back for part 2 of the latest episode where they discuss the current state of the NBA
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back with the first part of a two part episode. This first part covers the state of the NFL a week away from the playoffs, and dissects contenders and pretenders in the AFC and NFC.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to preview the NFC by looking at each team's over/under and taking a side on it, picking the division winner from each division, and to pick the NFC Champion.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to preview the NFC by looking at each team's over/under and taking a side on it, picking the division winner from each division, and to pick the NFC Champion.
Kris and Riley are back to give fantasy football advice for the upcoming season and to talk about the Donovan Mitchell trade to Cleveland.
Kris and Riley are back to give fantasy football advice for the upcoming season and to talk about the Donovan Mitchell trade to Cleveland.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss last season's four most disappointing teams, the Nets, Suns, 76ers and Lakers, and look ahead to their future and try and forecast their ceiling and how realistic it is for them to reach it.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the recent Kyrie Irving drama, the recent NBA Draft and John Wall joining the Clippers.
Fritz and Riley are back to discuss Fritz's Warriors winning the 2022 NBA Title, the adjustments that made that possible, and where both teams go from here.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to talk about the NBA Conference Finals, forecast a potential Warriors/Celtics Finals, and talk about Stephen Curry's legacy.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs so far.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the state of the NBA before the start of the 2022 playoffs.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss their own top 10 all time NBA lists and then discuss their bold predictions for the rest of the season (1:21:30).
Your favorite trio of Riley, Fritz, and Kris is back and behind the microphones to talk about all of the madness of the NBA Trade Deadline, break down the major deals and how they affect the league, and break down the upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the Rams and Bengals! Enjoy!
Kris, Fritz and Riley are back to discuss the conference championship games, Tom Brady, Brian Flores, Russell Westbrook trades, and more.
Fritz and Riley are back to discuss last weekend's wild games and look ahead to next weekend's conference championship games.
Fritz and Riley are back to discuss the upcoming playoff games and recap last week's playoff games.
Fritz, Riley and Kris are back to discuss the Warriors, the Suns, some Knicks banter, the Patriots return to prominence and the state of NFL contenders.
Fritz and Riley are back to discuss the past week in the NFL and the Warriors early return to prominence.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to preview the AFC heading into the 2021 NFL season and make their Super Bowl picks.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are all back to break down NBA Finals games 4 and 5, Chris Paul's struggles and perception, Giannis's perception, and much more. (Note: Kris was unable to call in through his computer so he had to use his phone, which is why his audio quality was different than normal).
Fritz and Kris are back to discuss NBA Finals game 3 and where the series is headed as well as some offseason rumors surrounding the Knicks and the Warriors.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the game 7s between the Nets and Bucks and Sixers and Hawks, the future of Ben Simmons in Philadelphia, the underlying structural issues in Philadelphia, and preview the Eastern Conference Finals between the Bucks and Hawks.
Kris and Riley are back after a long break to discuss the current state of the NBA Playoffs, including every series but focusing specifically on Nets/Bucks and debating Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell.
Fritz Kris and Riley are back to talk early returns from the first games of the NBA Playoffs first round series, including the Knicks game 1 loss to the Hawks, the status of the Nets, Bucks and Sixers, Clippers and Lakers concerns, and more. They then finish the episode by discussing the Julio Jones trade request.
With the draft just days away, Kris and Riley discuss the implications of the Teddy Bridgewater trade, as well as run through positional rankings for the offensive side of the ball.
With the draft just days away, Kris and Riley discuss the implications of the Teddy Bridgewater trade, as well as run through positional rankings for the offensive side of the ball.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back together on the pod with Richard Goodman, known on NBA Twitter as Ricky G, to discuss the current state of the NBA, including the present and future of the Knicks, the past, present, and future of the Warriors, the contenders in the league this year, and more. They then finish the episode with Ricky G giving his takes on elite retired players and the GOAT debate.
Fritz and Kris are joined by soccer journalist and expert Manuel Veth in order to break down everything that has happened in the soccer world in the past three days with the formation of the breakaway European Super League, the backlash it received, its quick demise, and what should happen to the involved soccer clubs going forward.
On today’s episode of To a Tolerable Degree, Kris and Riley discuss the Knicks win over the Mavs, what their expectations are for the rest of the season, and potential moves they might make in the future.
With Kris busy, Fritz and Riley are back a few weeks ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft to give their mock first rounds, projecting what they think will happen on April 29th, from where the Quarterbacks will go, who will take the elite receivers, and where generational talent Kyle Pitts will go.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the wild ending to the Gonzaga/UCLA Final Four game, address the state of the Golden State Warriors struggles and their future, and debate how a myriad of injuries has affected the MVP race, included a long and heated debate about James Harden. Finally, they finish up the episode by talking more about the upcoming NFL Draft.
After an extended break due to college midterms, Fritz, Kris and Riley are back just in time to react to the flurry of NFL blockbuster trades, most notably Fritz's Niners trading up to the 3rd overall pick for (presumably) a QB, and the Eagles ensuing trade with the Dolphins. They then discuss the free agency moves around the league, most notably by the Giants and the Patriots.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to check in on the state of the NBA as we hit the All Star Break, including checking in on the struggling Celtics, and about the Nets and where they rank among title contenders. They then move into discussions about the state of the race for coach of the year and MVP, with Fritz and Kris both getting busted for pretending old takes didn't happen. Finally, they discuss whether LeBron should have more MVP awards.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the Fritz's Warriors beating Riley and Kris's Knicks, the NBA All Star Game rosters, and some more basketball topics. They then transition to the NFL, with Russell Wilson's trade request, Carson Wentz getting traded to the Colts, and then Riley gives his breakdowns, grades, rankings, and NFL comparisons for this year's NFL Draft's top five QBs.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back for a full NBA episode in which the trio looks into the Anthony Davis achilles injury and how it will impact the Lakers going forward this season. They also look into the NBA's plans to hold the All Star Game this year and whether or not it is worth it to do so. They then move on to discuss the Western Conference leading Utah Jazz, and Kris and Riley launch into a heated debate about Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
Fritz, Kris, and Riley, are back to recap the Buccaneers Super Bowl win over the Chiefs, the Bucs dominance in the trenches, and more. They then transition to talking about the NBA, including the NBA MVP debate between Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. They then debate which big man you would want in which context: Embiid, Jokic or Anthony Davis, and finish the episode by discussing the Knicks acquisition of Derrick Rose.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are finally back to preview Super Bowl LV between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. They preview the matchup between Mahomes and Brady, the Chiefs playmakers, and why Tampa Bay could dominate in the trenches. They then look into the Matthew Stafford trade, the Deshaun Watson situation, and other quarterback concerns around the NFL. Finally, Riley ends the episode by venting his frustrations with "tough guy" coaches.
The guys get on the pod to discuss the Knicks' victory over the Warriors - a matchup quite relevant to the co-hosts of To A Tolerable Degree. Kris and Riley get their time to gloat, while Fritz attempts to levelheadedly analyze the contest.
Each NFL playoff game from last week was then recapped and predictions for next week were then given, with Glenn's Gambles following to have your betting needs covered for this week's NFL action.
Fritz and Kris are joined once again by Liza Armstrong in order to break down all angles of the James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets that went down Wednesday night, including how this affects Brooklyn in the short and long term, and how the Rockets faired. They then go on to discuss Kyrie Irving's unexplained absence from the Nets, and the NBA's mounting issues with Covid. The finish up with predictions and gambling advice for the NFL Divisional playoffs, which were delivered by text from Riley.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back from the holidays for an episode in which they discuss the hot start of Kris and Riley's beloved Knicks and the Eagles tanking to ruin the Giants' playoff hopes. They then discuss the various playoff matchups, who will win each wild card game, and who will cover the spread. The three of them continue to predict the Super Bowl and discuss a potential Deshaun Watson trade to the 49ers or Dolphins.
Fritz and Riley are back to check in with storylines from the last few weeks around the NFL, including the Steelers' 3 game losing streak, the Jets beating the Rams, but why both teams came out of that game as losers, and take a look at which teams are contenders and pretenders in the NFC and AFC. They then wrap up the episode with Riley giving his week 16 gambling locks on Glenn's Gambles and by briefly discussing the College Football Playoff.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to preview the Western Conference in the upcoming NBA season. The trio debates who will finish in the top three, whether or not the Lakers will prioritize rest over seeding, and the placement of teams like the Blazers, Mavericks, Suns, Warriors, and more!
Fritz, Kris and Riley are joined by diehard Celtics fan Liza Armstrong in order to preview the Eastern Conference in the upcoming NBA Season. The four agree on some things -- The Bucks-- and disagree on others -- the Nets. Throughout the show, various arguments pop up, most frequently centered around the ever mercurial Kyrie Irving (who Liza can't stand as a Celtics fan) and Kris and Riley's beloved Knicks.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are all back to break down the Knicks offseason, the Russell Westbrook for John Wall trade between the Rockets and Wizards, and (finally) the NBA Draft. After talking basketball, they transition to the NFL to talk about Carson Wentz getting benched, changing how we evaluate QB's, the Dez Bryant Covid fiasco, and the Giants and Washington's upset wins over the Seahawks and Steelers. To finish off, Riley gives his locks for next week's NFL action on the first official edition of "Glenn's Gambles."
Kris is busy this week, but Fritz and Riley are back to discuss Klay Thompson's achilles injury and what that means for the Warriors this season and in the future. They then discuss what the Lakers and Clippers have done this offseason, and the Hornets overpaying for Gordon Hayward. They then transition to the NFL to discuss the various situations of rookie QBs Joe Burrow, Tua, and Justin Herbert. They finish up by ripping into Roger Goodell for his poor covid management.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to react to the plethora of trades that went down in the NBA in the last 36 hours, including CP3 to the Suns, Jrue Holiday to the Bucks, Robert Covington to the Blazers, Dennis Schröder to the Lakers, and more! Kris and Riley then answer Fritz's general questions about Wednesday night's NBA Draft and talk about James Harden and Russell Westbrook wanting out of Houston.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back together to discuss Ravens' loss to the Steelers and share some concerns about Lamar Jackson in big games. From there they move on to discuss what the 49ers should do next season at quarterback, and they finish up by discussing the NBA's plan to start the 2020/2021 season and Riley gives some of his betting picks for week 9.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to break down week 7 of the 2020 NFL season, with specific focus on the wildly competitive NFC West. Fritz and Kris disagree on whether or not Antonio Brown's return to football will help or hurt the Bucs, and then the three transition to their first ever mailbag episode which includes questions about the NFL and NBA. Finally, to finish the episode Riley leads a segment on picking who will cover the spread in every game of week 8.
Fritz can't make tonight's episode, so Riley and Kris get together to react to week six of the NFL season, including Aaron Rodgers' leadership, and where Ryan Tannehill ranks among NFL QB's. During the entire episode the two depressed Giants fans react live to the Giants Thursday night football meltdown.
Fritz, Kris, and birthday boy Riley Glenn are back together to discuss the LA Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Finals over the Miami Heat. They compare Jimmy Butler to 2001 Allen Iverson, talk about LeBron finally catching some breaks, Anthony Davis as Scottie Pippen, and more. They then shift to the NFL, where Fritz goes on a rant about his beloved 49ers, and Riley goes on a rant about never paying running backs.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back together to discuss LeBron and the Lakers' seemingly inevitable title after going up 3-1 over the Heat, and look forward to next NBA season's title contenders. Then, they move on to the NFL to discuss the NFC East possibly being the worst division ever, the Packers and the Seahawks as Super Bowl contenders, and more general football talk.
The NBA Finals are finally here! Fritz and Kris are back to break down the Lakers' and Heat's wins over the Nuggets and Celtics in the Conference Finals, talk about the Nuggets future, preview important matchups on offense and defense for both Miami and LA, and make predictions for the winner of the Finals and Finals MVP. You can already guess who Kris picked.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are back to discuss the Clippers epic playoff collapse, bury Kawhi and Playoff P, and discuss the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Celtics. Riley and Fritz then both take time to put aside their dislike for LeBron and give him respect, Kris and Riley mock Fritz for the 49ers week one loss, and Fritz and Kris celebrate the return of the Bundesliga, and preview an exciting title race between Bayern and Dortmund.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are all back together to preview the upcoming NFL season by picking the winner of each division, the three wild card teams in each conference, and then pick the Super Bowl LV Champion. The three hosts completely agree on some picks, and vehemently disagree on others, and while Fritz is full of optimism about the 49ers, Kris and Riley can't find any such optimism for the Giants.
Fritz and Kris are back after their first week of classes to discuss the second round of the NBA Playoffs, including the Heat taking a 3-0 lead on the Bucks, the Celtics success against the Raptors, concern over the Lakers game 1 loss to the Rockets, and more! They wrap up the episode by discussing Lionel Messi's transfer saga with FC Barcelona.
Fritz and Kris are back to discuss the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to boycott their playoff game agains the Orlando Magic in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. They discuss the courage of the players, what the strike accomplishes, the teams leading the charge, what's at stake, and what comes next as the Playoffs resume this weekend.
Fritz, Kris and Riley are all back together to discuss the first few days of the NBA Playoffs. The trio covers how wide open the NBA title is wide open, express varying degrees of concern about the Lakers and the Bucks, cover the wild Clippers/Mavs series, and visit the 76ers impossible situation. At the end, they talk about Steph vs. Dame for the league's best point guard, and Fritz and Riley make a bet on the air.
Fritz and Kris are joined by Ben Golliver, national NBA Reporter for the Washington Post, to discuss life in the bubble, NBA Referee pickle-ball games, "The Last Dance," Tampering, new ideas for the league and more! They then look ahead to the play-in game(s) this weekend, the NBA Playoffs, The Finals, and how next season might be able to happen.
Much like when the Bundesliga returned back in May, Kris looks to Fritz to educate himself (and the broader American sports fan audience) on the return of some of the highest level soccer in the world. However this time it is THE highest level of soccer there is: The Champions League. Fritz and Kris go over the altered format of the competition, the teams that are still in the tournament, and finally make predictions for the outcome of the premier club soccer competition in the world. It can be watched on CBS.
Fritz, Kris and Riley get together to discuss the first five days of the NBA bubble. They overreact to Danny Green's shooting struggles, Kyle Lowry's flopping, Dion Waiters' return to the NBA, and Zion's limited minutes. They also revisit their Finals predictions from a few weeks ago and celebrate the return of all things basketball.
Kris is back from vacation and joins Fritz to discuss the initial success of the NBA bubble, Lou Williams' adventures in Atlanta, more exposure for the WNBA, and the Miami Marlins Coronavirus disaster. Next, they discuss individual awards in COVID-19 affected seasons, most notably the NBA Awards and the Ballon d'Or being stolen from Robert Lewandowski. Finally, they are joined by Riley Glenn to discuss the Knicks hiring of Tom Thibodeau.
Kris is currently on vacation, so Fritz is joined by longtime friend and baseball expert Zach Mathews to make predictions for the upcoming MLB season, with special focus on if the season will be completed, Giants pessimism, and (hard to swallow) Dodgers, Yankees and Astros optimism. Later, Fritz is joined by Riley Glenn to discuss the ugly situation involving the Washington football team, the NFL's poor handling of the pandemic, and whether or not we will get a football season.
Fritz joins Kris from a dirt road in- honestly, I have no idea where Fritz is right now. Good luck, buddy.
In all seriousness, the episode covers topics ranging from Fritz slandering the Knicks, the NBA Bubble, the Mahomes contract, the MLB's lack of a bubble, college sports, and the pod's favorite league: The Bundesliga. Enjoy and stay safe!
Kris and Riley team up to talk about the latest COVID-19 related NBA updates, discuss each of their top ten players in this year's NBA Draft, including giving the reasoning for LaMelo Ball being atop both of their lists, and talk about how Cam Newton heading to the New England Patriots might work out.
Baseball is coming back! Fritz and Kris are joined by SF Giants beat reporter Kerry Crowley and former MLB player Fernando Perez to discuss the return of baseball, from the ugly negotiations between the players and owners, the who might benefit from a shortened season, brawls, and how politics and capitalism have tied into sports returning.
Fritz and Kris are back to discuss the NBA's health protocols in Disney World, Kyrie Irving's concerns with the season resuming and how it could detract from the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, the tiered hotels (shoutout Yacht Club), and the NBA Snitch Hotline. They also briefly iscuss some experiences with car crashes, the MLB (which itself is a car crash), and the Bundesliga.
Link to hub of various Black Lives Matter causes/petitions/organizations:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Fritz and Kris are back for the second part of the final breakdown of ESPN's "The Last Dance." Like the first part of this final breakdown, this episode was recorded about a week ago and more heavily produced, with clips from various friends and family members reacting to the documentary edited in, including a ten minute appearance from Fritz and Kris's mentor, Fernando Perez (15:30). Fritz and Kris discuss whether or not the doc lived up to its potential, winners and losers, and revisit MJ/LeBron one last time.
Fritz and Kris are joined by Riley Glenn, a new cohost on the show. In this episode they make predictions for the Conference Finals and Finals, keeping in mind the long layoff and the lack of fans. They wrap up the episode by discussing which teams they want to see win (and lose) from the perspective of fans whose teams are not going to be in the bubble.
The NBA is officilaly coming back! Fritz and Kris discuss the format, the teams, the plan to finish the season at Disney World, and share various concerns over all of those factors. This is the first of two parts on the NBA's return. It was originally going to be one episode but the second segment ran long so we've split it in two. Part 2 will include Finals predictions and introduce a new cohost. Stay tuned...
Link to hub of various Black Lives Matter causes/petitions/organizations:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
In the first of a two part final breakdown of "The Last Dance," Fritz and Kris discuss their reactions to Jordan, and some of the lies and propaganda from the documentary. At the beginning of the show they also address the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, and Jordan's statement and actions surrounding the movement. Please check out the link above, and stay tuned for Part 2.
Fritz and Kris break down the status of the possible return of the NBA, NHL and MLB (!!!) by discussing what formats the leagues might take, challenges they will face, and which NBA players might break the safety rules in the proposed "bubble." They finish the episode by discussing what has worked for the Bundesliga, including fake crowd noise, and Fritz celebrates Bayern Munich's win over Kris and Borussia Dortmund.
Fritz and Kris break down the final two episodes of "The Last Dance." They discuss MJ's infamous flu game (which was really pizza induced), Steve Kerr, the 1998 Finals, weird game sevens, and the end of the Jordan-era Bulls. They finish the episode by debating the current state of the GOAT debate between MJ and LeBron James.
Live sports are back! The Bundesliga, which is professional German soccer, will be returning this weekend on FS1 and FS2. Fritz, a diehard Bayern Munich and Bundesliga fan, helps Kris understand the league's plan to minimize risk, explains the format of the league, and gives an overview of the teams and players to watch. Finally, at the end of the episode Fritz makes predictions for this weekend's matches and Kris chooses a team to root for.
Fritz and Kris break down Michael Jordan's insane work ethic, his time playing for the Chicago White Sox organization, and his eventual return to basketball and fight with Steve Kerr. They then wrap up with Fritz making his case for the 2016/17 Warriors being better than the 1996/1996 Bulls, and Jordan's relationship with his father.
Kris and Fritz break down the most recent episodes of "The Last Dance," and detail some of the knocks on Jordan's reputation from the 90's, including his gambling and his decisions not to engage in activism, and then discuss various elements of the Dream Team from 1992, and the Bulls rivalry with the Knicks in the 90's.
Kris and Fritz discuss what professional sports might look like once they return (as well as when they return), and what the different leagues might be able to adopt long term from playing in the age of the Coronavirus. They discuss the NFL, NBA, and German Bundesliga's respective situations in depth, and then discuss how they might fix baseball. Finally, they discuss Andy Dalton signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
For the second time, Fritz and Kris respond to "The Last Dance" from the perspective of those too young to have seen the 90's Bulls play live. They focus on Dennis Rodman: his antics, his genius as a defender and rebounder, his Vegas excursions, and compare him to a current NBA star; on Phil Jackson, and how he deals with the various personalities on the Bulls. The finish the episode by discussing the Bad Boys Pistons, how modern NBA rivalries compare to Bulls/Pistons, and compare LeBron and MJ as personalities and players.
Kris and Fritz go through each pick made in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and assign it a grade as well as provide the rationale for those grades. From calling each other out on homerisms to actually agreeing on a few grades, see how the hosts of To A Tolerable Degree tackle the full first round of the draft here:
Hello, and welcome to the inaugural episode of "To a Tolerable Degree!" On today's episode, co-hosts Fritz Baldauf and Kris Pursiainen react to the first two episodes of ESPN's Michael Jordan Documentary series, "The Last Dance," from the perspective of NBA fans too young to have seen Jordan play live. Enjoy!