On the latest Any Given Wednesday, Bill Simmons brought in comedian Larry Wilmore to discuss winners and losers from top story lines in the sports world. Wilmore offered his thoughts on Bill Belichick and the Patriots, predicting a New England Super Bowl win — but against a new opponent this year.
Winners and Losers With Larry Wilmore: Bill Belichick
They also previewed the new NBA season, and Wilmore heckled Simmons about the Celtics-Lakers rivalry from the 1980s and explained why Cleveland might not reach the Finals again this season.
Winners and Losers With Larry Wilmore: NBA Parity
Then, hockey great Wayne Gretzky and comedian Bill Burr discuss the state of the NHL and whether it needs to be changed in some way to appeal to a wider audience.
Wayne Gretzky and Bill Burr Discuss “Fixing the NHL”
Gretzky and Burr also answered questions from the mailbag on partying with the Stanley Cup, hecklers, and the best place to sit in an NHL arena.
Mail Bag With Wayne Gretzky and Bill Burr
And finally, Simmons addressed the black sheep in the Cleveland sports family: the Browns. With the Cavaliers celebrating a title and the Indians just three wins from a World Series title, the Browns are stuck without a quarterback and without a playoff win since the new team arrived in Cleveland.
Taking the Browns to the Super Bowl: The Plight of Cleveland
Disclosure: HBO is an initial investor in The Ringer.
