Deshaun Vs. Cleveland, and a Mega-Mailbag With Joe House. Plus, UCLA’s Bob Chesney.

August 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“We have a one in 64,” Bill Simmons says about the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation, summing up the franchise’s decades-long search for a reliable signal-caller. That search led them to Deshaun Watson, a decision that has produced what Simmons and Joe House argue is the worst trade and contract in NFL history. Watson has made roughly $12 million per game played as a Brown, and per touchdown pass, while settling over 20 civil lawsuits. “He sucks at football,” Simmons adds. The episode’s first half is a sprawling mailbag covering Watson’s collapse, Bronny James as a potential kryptonite for LeBron, the NBA’s all-time “poop pie” earners, and a pep talk about why sports are still great. The second half features a long conversation with new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney, who explains how he builds culture in the chaotic NIL and transfer-portal era.

The Deshaun Watson Fiasco and the Browns’ Reckoning

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What you'll learn

1 (03:47) **Red Sox Sweep & House’s Betting Pain** - House and Simmons open with baseball talk; Simmons is hyped about the Red Sox winning, while House is furious after betting against them.
2 (05:44) **Mailbag: The "Arch Badness" Tanking Name** - Brett from DC proposes a name for tanking for Arch Manning, sparking a conversation about NFL draft terminology.
3 (06:54) **Mailbag: Deshaun Watson vs. Cleveland** - A lifelong Browns fan details the catastrophic Deshaun Watson trade and asks if a fan base has ever turned on a player this much.
4 (17:04) **Mailbag: The Bronny James Kryptonite Theory** - A listener proposes a wild NBA strategy: trade for Bronny James to use him as a human shield against LeBron in key moments.
5 (21:10) **Mailbag: The "Mendoza Line" for QBs & QBR Confusion** - A listener proposes a new statistical benchmark for quarterback suckitude, leading to a debate on the meaning of QBR.
6 (26:13) **Mailbag: Expanding March Madness to 1,024 Teams** - Dan Raley proposes a half-baked, absurdly large NCAA tournament that includes every D1, D2, and D3 team.
7 (27:23) **Mailbag: Pacers Disrespect & Haliburton’s Return** - Adam R from Indiana complains that Tyrese Haliburton’s first game back from an Achilles tear is not on national TV.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Joe House Bob Chesney

Show Notes

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House to answer some mailbag questions. Then, Bill heads out to UCLA to chat with Bruins football coach Bob Chesney about his coaching history, changing the culture at UCLA, and much more!

(0:00) Intro

(2:43) Mailbag with House

(01:27:41) Bob Chesney interview

Host: Bill Simmons

Guests: Joe House and Bob Chesney

Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Eduardo Ocampo, and Jessie Lopez

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