Baseball Rule Proposal, Poet/Basketball Fan, Chicago Sting's Cuba Visit

The average Major League Baseball game this season has taken three hours and four minutes. This week on Only A Game, NYU game theorists propose a radical rule change to shorten games. Plus, the story of a poet who is obsessed with NBA guard D'Angelo Russell. And the Chicago Sting's trailblazing 1978 trip to Cuba. Join us!

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The Catch-Up Rule: The Latest Pitch To Improve Baseball
Two NYU game theorists have come up with a new rule that would drastically change baseball. Not everyone thinks it’s a great idea.

3 Stories: Dallas Mavericks, Vontae Davis, NFL Hall of Fame Boycott
Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle and The Nation's Dave Zirin join Howard Bryant.

The Story Of A Poet's Obsession With The NBA's D'Angelo Russell
Poet Mikko Harvey is obsessed with Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell. “I google him constantly,” Harvey says. “It’s the weirdest thing I do.”

Double Play: 'An Old Barn. A Basketball Rim. An Indiana Story.'
Mike Morrow's barn in rural Indiana is faded red and run down. But the net in the basketball hoop looks brand new.

Charlie Pierce: The Week In Sports
Howard Bryant and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce discuss whether a House subcommittee review of guidelines for national sports betting will keep gambling honest. Also, the team that once again tops Forbes' list of most valuable NFL franchises. And, the beer flows as the Cleveland Browns earn their first win since December 2016.

The Chicago Sting's Groundbreaking Trip To Cuba
In 1978, a fledgling soccer team blazed a trail to Cuba for U.S. professional sports teams.