HARD PASS with Doug Kezirian

5 Things You Need to Know About the NBA Gambling Scandal | HARD PASS Ep. #55

The start of the NBA season has already been wild, and it just got even crazier after the FBI announced a MASSIVE gambling bust involving three NBA figures who were allegedly providing insider information for illegal sports betting and participating in rigged high-stakes poker games linked to the Mafia.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Bla...

How NBC Made The NBA Feel SPECIAL Again | HARD PASS Ep. 54

The NBA is officially back, and so is all the drama. Stephen A. Smith and Russell Westbrook are calling out LeBron James for being “fake,” reigniting a long-running feud that Stephen A. claims has been brewing for years. He aired it all out on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, accusing LeBron of not being genuine and calling into question the image the ‘King’ has built througho...

Broncos Pulled Off A HISTORIC Comeback! 🔥 | HARD PASS Ep. 53

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos were down 0 to 19 in the fourth quarter against a New York Giants team led by Jaxson Dart that had all the MOMENTUM, but that didn’t stop them from fighting back and completing one of the biggest and most improbable comebacks in NFL history. With less than a seven percent chance to win the game, the Broncos exploded for 33 points in the fo...

This Trade SAVED The Bengals Season ... | HARD PASS Ep. #52

Did the Cleveland Browns just SAVE the Cincinnati Bengals’ season? 👀

Joe Flacco, the 40 year old Super Bowl–winning QB, lost his starting job in Cleveland and was then traded to the Bengals to stabilize their season while Joe Burrow recovers from injury. But before their huge matchup with the Steelers, head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear he thought trading a proven...

THIS Is Why Baker Mayfield Is The NFL's MVP 🏆 | HARD PASS Ep. 51

Baker Mayfield has CARRIED the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the best record in the NFL, and he’s doing it without some of his biggest weapons. It’s been BIG GAME after BIG GAME for one of the league’s most dominant players right now, and it has the sports world labeling him as the MVP favorite.

The Kansas City Chiefs are also back in the headlines after a huge win o...

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HARD PASS Ep. #

On Today’s Episode:

00:00 - Intro

00:00 - Huddle Up

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00:00 - The Hoop Scoop

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00:00 - Heat Check

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00:00 - Fans in the Stands

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#WNBA #BasketballNews #NFLnews #SportsDebate #SportsPodcast #viralbasketball #viralNFL #FootballTalk #BasketballTalk #SportsCom...

LeBron's FAKE Retirement Has The World SHOCKED | HARD PASS Ep. #49

There’s A LOT going on across the sports world right now 👀

From LeBron James’ bizarre fake “Decision” ad that turned out to be a Hennessy promo, to Mark Sanchez’s wild DoorDash incident, and even an NFL head coach being fined for simply doing his job ... this week’s episode of Hard Pass covers it all!

Doug breaks down the latest updates on Mark Sanchez’s ...

NFL players keep dropping the ball before the end zone, and it’s costing teams wins, coaches jobs, and players their reputations. From Arizona’s Emari DeMercado to Indy’s Adonai Mitchell, the epidemic of premature celebrations has reached a breaking point. Doug Kezirian breaks down the plays, the psychology behind these mistakes, and why cutting a player might be the only way to stop it.

Plus, is it finally time for Penn State ...

WNBA superstar Napheesa Collier blasts Commissioner Cathy Engelbert publicly, revealing private conversations, airing dirty laundry, and exposing the tension between players and the league just weeks before a major negotiation deadline. With Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and other rising stars in the mix, the battle over revenue sharing, leadership, and the future of women’s basketball is reaching a breaking point. Is...

NFL overtime rules and tied games continue to frustrate fans, leaving Sunday Night Football without a clear winner. From the recent Cowboys vs. Packers showdown to a history of overtime struggles, the league’s rules haven’t always delivered decisive outcomes. On today’s Hard Pass, Doug Kezirian dives deep into why ties are a problem, how past overtime changes—from sudden death to guaranteed possessions—have failed, and why the NFL ...

The Lakers GM made it clear the Lakers are done with LeBron James, and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl just pulled off the ultimate nepotism move: handing his son a top coaching job.

Doug Kezirian dissects what Rob Pelinka’s press conference really revealed about LeBron’s future: the Lakers are building around Luka Doncic, keeping their books clean, and looking ahead to possible superstar trades like Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo....

When it comes to sports betting heartbreak, few things sting more than a soul crushing NFL Bad Beat. The latest candidate? Rams +3.5 against the Eagles, a collapse that has many calling it the worst beat in NFL betting history. Doug Kezirian dives into whether this moment truly deserves the crown or if unforgettable meltdowns from the past still reign supreme.

Doug rewinds to the most brutal finishes of all time: the Falcons’ in...

NFL referees protecting the Eagles is turning into a major credibility problem, with fans questioning the integrity of the league after another week of blatant missed calls. From ignored False Starts on the “Tush Push” to no-calls on key plays, the NFL risks alienating its audience if the perception of favoritism continues. Plus, the WNBA embarrasses itself again—this time by mispronouncing a Coach of the Year winner’s name at its ...

Tua Tagovailoa delivered another ugly performance on Thursday Night Football, exemplifying how NFL teams are overpaying mediocre quarterbacks. Why do NFL teams keep making the same mistake? Handing out massive contracts to shaky QBs -- like Tua, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, and Daniel Jones -- which handcuff rosters under the salary cap. Doug Kezirian breaks down why history shows you only win with an MVP-level QB (or a team-friendly ...

Tom Brady was caught on camera wearing a headset in the coaches booth, immediately sparking outrage and controversy over the massive conflict of interest, considering his unique role as both a FOX broadcaster and Las Vegas Raiders minority owner. From gaining insider access to coaches and players to the NFL bending rules specifically for him, Brady is once again at the center of controversy—sparking flashbacks to Deflategate and Sp...

The Philadelphia Eagles are facing growing outrage and cheating accusations over the controversial Tush Push (a.k.a. The Brotherly Shove), after replays show multiple false starts and illegal offensive line alignments that the refs plainly ignored. Doug Kezirian digs into some revealing photos, and asks: is this unstoppable short-yardage play just smart football, or are the Eagles actually cheating the system with this loophole? Fa...

NBA softness is reaching new lows, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver shocked fans with his dismissive comments on rising costs, Kevin Durant defended stat-padding after the league changed its rules on half-court heaves, and now Angel Reese faces bizarre advice about bribing her teammates from WNBA legend Angel McCoughtry. Doug Kezirian exposes how the NBA keeps coddling (ahem, “protecting”) its stars instead of the fans, why Durant’s...

College football fans erupted after AP Poll voter Haley Sawyer made a notable ballot blunder by omitting the undefeated South Florida from her top 25... and then stumbled through a bizarre Zoom call, defending her mistake with nonsensical statements, which only made things worse. Doug Kezirian breaks down why the initial fumble wasn’t the end of the world, but “the cover-up was worse than the crime” – the doubling-down, dismissive ...

Buffalo' Week 1 thriller against the Ravens sparked major debates: Was Josh Allen’s comeback drive a real turning point, or did Ravens coach John Harbaugh hand him the game with insane (ahem, archaic) coaching decisions? Doug Kezirian breaks down Harbaugh’s costly punt, missed analytics opportunities, and why this felt more like a Ravens collapse than a Bills triumph. Plus: Lamar Jackson’s viral shove of a Bills fan—did he cross th...