It's all Ava, all the time tonight — Ron, Joe and Doug — and the docket is loaded.

Quick hits first: Jay-Z is playing the Super Bowl halftime show, which means Joe will be in the kitchen; 47 young men across the country still don't know if they'll get to play for their NCAA Division I basketball team next week; and SLU gets Robbie Avila back, at least for the first game. Then college football: Mizzou takes a bye week but may regain a key player for the stretch run, a wild upset weekend (UCF over No. 2 BYU, Cincinnati over No. 8 Texas Tech, South Carolina over No. 11 Tennessee, Minnesota over No. 14 Iowa, Texas over Ole Miss), and the preseason ranked teams that have tumbled out — Oregon's train wreck chief among them.

In the NFL, the Chiefs are humbled in Seattle on Sunday night — Mahomes throwing what looks like a medicine ball, Worthy with three catches for 11 yards, the Butker yips, and a Tyreek Hill return that probably isn't happening — plus the Jeff Wilkins story from the Greatest Show on Turf. Then the upside-down league: the Giants, Browns and Vikings in first place, just like we all expected; Dallas as division favorite, damning with faint praise; Sirianni's seat in Philadelphia; the 49ers losing at Atlanta in a "poisonous snake game"; and Kirk Cousins on borrowed time with the Raiders.

After the break: CITY wins the U.S. Open Cup, 5-3 on penalties in Columbus, captain Roman Bürki leaving on a stretcher — and the banner goes up Wednesday night against Portland, with San Diego on Saturday and Houston on November 7 before the playoffs. The Blues are mid at 5-5-1, having scored 35 goals and given up 35. And the World Series, live during the show: Milwaukee going for its eighth straight postseason win, Whiteyball vs. three-true-outcome baseball, the '76 Big Red Machine and the '82 Brewers' five Hall of Famers, the salary-cap argument the Brewers keep demolishing, and a lockout warning for a sport with ratings up. Plus Cardinals minor leaguers tearing up the fall league.

Last Call: Joe on college basketball tipping off (Notre Dame–Villanova in Rome, No. 14 Miami vs. No. 1 Florida, Mizzou–SLU on November 6), Doug on Wilt Chamberlain — who never fouled out of an NBA or NCAA game, and got two rules changed because of him — and breakfast with the WNBA, an 11:30 a.m. Thursday finals game in Atlanta. Blue Horseshoe's Corner follows as its own pod in the next day.

The St. Louis Sportists — occasionally smart, always irreverent. Sponsored by 1st Coast Steel Buildings (1stcoaststeel.com) and Black Dog Consulting LLC. New episodes weekly — like, subscribe and give us five stars wherever you get your podcasts.

• 00:00 Cold open — the edition tease, all Ava all the time

• 01:11 Quick hits — Jay-Z at halftime, the social club vs. the hardcore fans

• 03:15 Robbie Avila returns to SLU, at least for game one

• 05:34 College football — Mizzou's bye, upset weekend, Oregon's train wreck

• 13:26 NFL — Chiefs humbled in Seattle, the medicine ball, Butker's yips

• 18:17 The upside-down NFL — Giants, Browns and Vikings in first

• 22:21 Break — First Coast Steel Buildings

• 23:54 CITY SC — Open Cup champions, Bürki's concussion, banner night

• 26:31 Blues report — 5-5-1, 35 scored, 35 allowed

• 27:17 World Series — Brewers, Whiteyball, the salary-cap argument

• 35:06 Last Call — college basketball tips off, Wilt, breakfast with the WNBA

• 43:56 Sign-off — pillow fighting, and Blue Horseshoe's Corner next

Blue Horseshoe rides again! Joe Spurlin deals this week's ten — five college, five pro — with Doug Lansdown (wearing blue), Keith Farroll, and Ron Cook in the corner.

Joe opens with a theory: last week's upset storm was the SEC's revenge for getting no primetime games. Then the picks: LSU gives 7.5 at Auburn and the panel splits down the middle over the hook; Baylor at Kansas is played for Dr. Kim — with 14 straight Baylor wins, a Jayhawk door projector courtesy of Jamie Kay, and Joe volunteering that he'd take Lawrence High School plus the points. Oregon's first trip to Champaign since 1993 gets declared a poisonous snake ("This dog has fleas — do not wager on this game"), and everyone takes Burt Bielema and the points anyway. Ole Miss at Texas and #14 Houston at #10 Utah split 2–2, with an Arch Manning crowd-watch in Austin and Willie Fritz love in Salt Lake.

In the pros: the Steelers take Paris ("My first call was Interpol as the winner"), the Giants visit a Houston team that's 0-3 at home (Cam Skattebo is treating the football like a live grenade, and Ron's fantasy loss to his own wife gets entered into evidence), the Niners are a unanimous road pick in Atlanta, Joe Burrow and the Bengals sweep Baltimore, and the whole panel — men who picked Kansas City to go .500 — jumps on the Chiefs bandwagon at Seattle. Plus a masterclass from Ron on why the spread is not a prediction.

As always: these picks are for entertainment purposes only, and should not be the basis of any actual wager. If you believe you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

- 00:00 — Blue Horseshoe rides again: Doug (wearing blue), Keith, and the disclaimer

- 01:07 — Joe's theory: the SEC was mad about primetime

- 01:44 — LSU −7.5 at Auburn: the hook splits the panel

- 03:06 — Baylor −2.5 at Kansas: this one's for Dr. Kim

- 04:00 — The stat drop: 14 straight Baylor wins… and Lawrence High School

- 05:25 — Oregon −8.5 at Illinois: first trip to Champaign since 1993

- 07:05 — "This dog has fleas": the poison game — and they take the points anyway

- 07:24 — Ole Miss at Texas −3.5: Arch watch in Austin

- 09:15 — #14 Houston at #10 Utah −6.5: first visit since 1977

- 10:33 — NFL time: a word about Ron's Super Bowl picks

- 11:03 — Steelers −3 vs the Saints in Paris: Interpol was Ron's first call

- 12:15 — Aaron Rodgers, 12 touchdowns and counting

- 12:35 — Giants at Houston −9.5: Skattebo, live grenades, and a fantasy grievance

- 14:15 — 49ers −3 at Atlanta: the split-personality Falcons

- 15:39 — Bengals −1.5 at Baltimore: Burrow is due

- 15:57 — Ron explains the spread (it's not a prediction, folks)

- 16:52 — SNF: Chiefs at Seattle −2.5, a unanimous bandwagon

- 17:45 — Christian Okoye trivia and the Rashee Rice question

- 18:33 — Sign-off: good luck, entertainment only

It's Trophy Night in St. Louis. CITY SC plays for the first cup in club history — the U.S. Open Cup Final in Columbus, live while we record.

Mizzou goes to Oxford and leaves its offense in Columbia, managing three whole points, a missed 22-yard field goal (a "smother hook," per Doug) and a bye week of self-scouting. The SEC's Circle of Defeat makes playoff picking a nightmare, Michigan benches a $10 million quarterback whose agent had him considering the portal within six hours, and the NCAA wants a 24-team playoff that 82% of fans hate. In the NFL, the Chiefs dismantle the Chargers 31-6, the Saints and Steelers might need Kevlar in Paris, the Eagles have some explaining to do, and Diego Pavia has a UFL plan.

After the break: Why a CITY win means a Concacaf berth, the 1988 Busch Seniors and a trophy won on a wedding day, the Blues bouncing back 2-1 in Winnipeg behind Snuggerud and Broberg, and Keith's devastating Jordan Kyrou trade audit. Then a World Series of firsts — Misiorowski vs. Rasmussen, two little-guy payrolls in the Fall Classic, and our picks (Brewers, Brewers… and Keith takes Tampa in seven). Golf at Norwood Hills, and a Last Call for the ages: Florida Man runs the gambling helpline, Doug bans the heart-hands celebration, Keith prices the NIL Top 5, and Ron explains why Jake Woodford gets a ring.

P.S. — About that final: After we signed off at 0-0, CITY finished the job — scoreless through 120 minutes, then a 5-3 shootout win and the first trophy in club history. Captain Roman Bürki left on a stretcher in the 78th minute with a head injury; he was conscious and moving all extremities on the way to the hospital, and backup Ben Lundt came in cold to close it out. Champions, St. Louis. 🏆

- 00:00 Trophy Night cold open — CITY plays for a cup, and the sponsors

- 02:32 Mizzou leaves its offense in Oxford — three points and a smother hook

- 07:33 The SEC Circle of Defeat and the 24-team playoff fight

- 09:54 Michigan's QB change and the six-hour transfer portal

- 16:22 Chiefs dismantle the Chargers, 31-6

- 17:49 Jameis, J.J. and the Malik Nabers show in New York

- 19:40 Saints–Steelers in Paris: Kevlar, anyone?

- 20:31 The Eagles' medical mess

- 22:31 Diego Pavia has a UFL plan

- 23:22 Break — live look-in: 0-0 in the 20th minute in Columbus

- 24:52 CITY SC: Trophy Night — the Open Cup Final, the Concacaf prize, and 1988's wedding-day winner

- 29:11 Blues bounce back in Winnipeg — and Keith's Kyrou audit

- 31:46 A World Series of firsts — Misiorowski vs. Rasmussen

- 35:00 The picks: Doug and Joe take Milwaukee, Keith takes Tampa in 7

- 37:43 Champions Tour golf at Norwood Hills

- 39:55 Last Call — Florida Man runs the gambling helpline

- 42:02 Doug's get-off-my-lawn: enough with the heart hands (+ Bob Huggins)

- 44:24 Keith prices the NIL Top 5

- 47:03 Ron's closer: Jake Woodford gets a ring

- 48:07 Sign-off — still 0-0 at the half