The New York Knicks came two wins away from playing in the 2025 NBA Finals, but they still made the somewhat surprising decision to can the coach who'd helped turn the franchise around, Tom Thibodeau. Host Ryan Nanni brings on Neil Paine, writer for ESPN, NASCAR, and his own Substack, to look at what the numbers say about teams that have bailed on successful coaches in hopes of improving their fortunes even further. Why does this move work better in some sports, and will we see impatient college football teams try this tactic in the near future? Neil also helps Ryan learn whether a trend he noticed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs is real or not.

This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

On this edition of the show's mailbag, Steven Godfrey considers the future of Georgia Tech after losing their athletic director, how adding another triple option team changes things in the AAC, getting recruited as a specialist, whether Billy Napier is an FFC, and what recent moment of parenting has made him most proud. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

If you can get a head coaching job in the National Hockey League, there's a decent chance you'll have a shot at a second, third, and maybe even a fourth somewhere down the line. This isn't quite as true in the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball, so Steven and Ryan discuss their own theories for what makes retreads more prominent in hockey before asking an actual expert, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, for his insight into this phenomenon. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield and produced by Michael Surber.

The union of numbers and words continues as ESPN's Bill Connelly sits down with Steven to talk about the challenges of building experienced rosters in the MAC, whether Kirby Smart will find his next evolution, the potential of a USC-Illinois showdown, and a whole lot more. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

As two children of the 1990s, our hosts have an obligation to remember the teal-tinged days when the Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, and Florida Marlins first came into being. But this episode isn't just about Remembering Some Franchises. Steven and Ryan review the history of expansion in the four major men's sports in the US, put hockey to one side, and then ask where, when, and if we'll see new teams in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

After years of tumultuous relationships and mixed results in the Big 12, Texas moved to the SEC and things turned out...totally fine, with a national championship in softball, a run to the Final Four in women's basketball, and a football appearance in the SEC title game. But there's lots to unpack about the Longhorns all the same. How do they feel about the resumption of the A&M rivalry? Which Big 12 team will they miss facing? And is the mixed reputation of the DKR crowd a fair one? Sara Cannon, Gerald Goodridge, and Will Baizer address these questions and others. This is a preview of the full episode, which is available to paid subscribers – go to phantomisland.show to sign up today. Presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.

Rodger Sherman joins Ryan Nanni on this episode to talk about FIFA's latest invention: the Club World Cup, a 32-team tournament thrown together to...well, move a lot of money around, for one thing. Why does this event exist in this form now, how do fans feel about it, and what is with the pronunciation of DAZN? Phantom Island is presented by Homefield Apparel and produced by Michael Surber.