the nail in the coffin | A Cleveland sports podcast

The Nail guys are back to talk about the Cavs-Knicks series, taking in the atmosphere at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the NBA playoffs, and the state of sports on TV. The episode covers the Cavs' bounce-back win on Tuesday night to even the series, the emergence of Darius Garland and Caris LeVert after both had a rough Game 1, and expectations for the weekend as the series shifts to New York. Plus: The Cavs and Guardians are still on Bally Sports, but for how much longer? The landscape of sports on TV is changing quickly, both locally and at the national level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guy Cipriano, editor-in-chief of Golf Course Industry Magazine, joins The Nail to talk about the launch of the LIV Tour, a Saudi-backed golf league that is promising big bucks to steal some of the game’s big names (and ruffling the PGA Tour’s feathers in the process). The guys discuss the new league’s paradigm-shattering financial model, the backlash being faced by defecting PGA Tour stars like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and how the PGA Tour is responding to the most high-profile, direct threat a major U.S. sports league has faced in more than a generation. Plus, Cipriano dives into the recreational golf scene, including how the game is diversifying, what casual golfers are looking for from their local courses now, and where the industry is headed in the coming years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Too many injuries—and in the end, too much Trae Young—ultimately proved to be the Cavs’ undoing, as their season ended on Friday night with a dispiriting loss to the Hawks. Friend of the Nail and Cavs superfan Mark Meszoros joins the show for a look back at a memorable year in which the Cavs fought through one setback after another—Injuries! COVID! More injuries!—to win 44 games and establish a dynamic nucleus led by Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. It’s a cathartic conversation that goes from lamenting what went wrong Friday against Atlanta to getting excited about the summer and beyond for a revitalized Cavaliers franchise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A deal for Deshaun Watson appears to be dead, but the Browns still seem bound for a breakup with Baker Mayfield. The guys discuss Mayfield’s tenure and eventual unraveling in Cleveland, as well as the Browns’ remaining options at quarterback for 2022 and beyond. Plus: QBs aren’t the only big names on the move in the NFL. The No. 1 broadcasting teams for nearly all of the league’s TV partners are getting an overhaul as top play-by-play announcers and analysts are making big-money moves. … Finally, the guys pay tribute to wrestling legend Scott Hall, aka Razor Ramon, who died this week at the age of 63. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a 5-month hiatus, the Nail guys are back with a lot to catch up on, from misguided narratives about OBJ’s exit from Cleveland hanging over Super Bowl Sunday to the arrival of a new era for the Cavaliers franchise starring Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Plus: NBA All-Star Weekend is here, the Winter Olympics are on, and pro wrestling has had a drama-filled week behind the scenes with Cody Rhodes walking away from AEW to possibly set up a once-unthinkable return to WWE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices