I’ve been listening for years now. Great content! Great interviews! The style is laid back and informal with detail shared through story. This is one show (tv, radio, podcast, etc) that I’ve been sure to catch every episode. Nick and Brenden, I wondered where the preseason podcast was…with todays update now I know. I very much appreciate the work you put in (written and audio). Selfishly, I don’t want a change but change was inevitable given your talent and dedication. Congratulations to you both as you flourish in your new roles! I eagerly look forward to the possibility of a new show from you both. Well done! Keep up the good work.

Brendan and Nick. You guys are the best! Listening from Virginia but always true blue. Seriously missed you guys together from Mlive days. You guys always had a great rapport, insight and passion. Just found this pod and super excited. Cheers guys!! Addendum: an end to ‘The Beat’? Man you guys are great and will miss this. Whatever road life takes you, you can always look back to the good ole days. Seriously entertaining, insightful podcasting on my beloved Wolverines. Love you guys!!!

Good sports Podcast but episodes are coming out less and less

Big fan of the pod. So pleased you both are back together. Thoughtful, interesting journalism. These guys are the reason I subscribe to the Athletic. The writing and the podcast are both excellent. …and the recent (May 2022) podcast on NIL was spectacular.

This could be a great pod if Nick would stop talking over Brendan. This pod has turned into a 60-minute rant by Nick. There isn’t any back and forth conversation anymore, just Nick spouting off. And, hoo boy, some of his basketball takes are bad.

Look, I know you guys cover Michigan State at times and it’s greatly appreciated. But let’s not act like this podcast gives the same attention to the Spartans as it does the Wolverines. The last 5 episodes have been centered around solely Jim Harbaugh. It’s coming off as some huge slappies. I don’t care if you guys think you’re giving equal coverage and put disclaimers in episodes. That doesn’t change the facts. You guys discussed the reviews written here one day and pointed out that a couple had complained of Michigan being treated favorable and refuted it obviously. There’s a reason those things get said as much as you guys just want to write it off as a fallacy or delusion. The proof is in the last 5 episode titles.

I like this show and think Quinn and Baumgardner are great reporters and knowledgeable about the respective sports they cover, but is this a Universoty of Michigan-centered podcast or an MSU - UM podcast? They’re not exclusively focused on Michigan, but it’s definitely far more oriented towards Wolverine sports over Spartan sports. Just curious.

Great content, but the pointless, annoying, inexplicable laughing from Nick makes some episodes unlistenable

Love the pod but where was the UM vs Iowa preview this week? I was very surprised to see so much discussion of the CFB coaching carousel.

I’ve followed the work of both of these guys since their MLive days and I appreciate their expertise and acumen about all things Michigan/Michigan State football and basketball. Not fan service - just telling it how it is. It should be noted that BQ knows nothing, I mean, NOTHING about football, but he’s up front about that. He is however, an excellent college hoops writer. This will probably sound like a backhanded compliment, but their banter and camaraderie is a little reminiscent of the NPR show “Car Talk” that featured two brothers dishing about all things automotive back in the day. The difference here is that while Nick and Brendan aren’t related, they’re basically brothers by any other definition.

I can’t wait for this episode every week. Great analysis with a couple funny dudes.

The honesty of the silliness of sports just makes me laugh. Your recent breakdown of b1g football coaches playing basketball had me rolling!! Keep it up.

How stupid is it to have a podcast where half the time is spent talking about a team your audience hates? RPM was a far superior product and I still don’t understand why they got rid of it. Baumgardner is excellent, probably one if the best CFB writers in the country. But Quinn is a disaster, alternating between dumbfounded ignoramus and braying donkey. I cannot sanction his buffoonery. I listen because I feel like I have to, not because I want to.

If this podcast didn’t exist, I would delete my podcast app. 11/10

Nick provides some of the best analysis in the business. He knows his stuff. Quinn knows jack nothing but is apparently there to….laugh at his own jokes? I don’t know. He basically asks Nick what he thinks and then that’s it. He tries to be a shock jock but comes off more as a 13 year old who thinks swearing is edgy. Neither of them is at all funny, but they certainly think they are. It’s annoying.

I started because Nick B has always been really good and realistic. The pair together is fantastic. They throw some good anecdotes in about golf and opinions that don’t always parrot other UM podcasts. NB’s description of JJ’s play against NW was spot on. Only place I heard it.

Nick’s voice sounds way softer than Quinn’s. They do a great job with the content

The show opens with lighthearted banter and anecdotes, then swiftly transitions to shrewd analysis on all things MSU/Michigan football and basketball. “The Beat” has quickly ascended into my podcast rotation, and will make yours too. Most importantly, anyone that knows Stone Cold Steve Austin’s hometown is a winner in my book.

Have been listening since the M Live days. As a Michigan football and basketball fan I come for the X’s and O’s and unbiased insight to both teams. I stay for the laughs and great lines. Example, Tennessee fans “ we are more passionate than anyone is in the world about anything short of terrorist groups!” Absolutely brilliant!!!!

I listen to every episode because these two guys make you feel like you’re just hanging out and having a beer with them. They are entertaining and super informative. I can listen to Nick talk about OLs all day. And BQ is hilarious. The two have great chemistry together and are super entertaining. Gonna have to get these guys to start meeting up with their listeners for beers.

Always going to get honest takes on our teams. Can’t get that on radio. The most popular shows are way too slanted towards one team or another…yes I’m talking about you 97.1

Baumgardner and Quinn went fishing for compliments, or at least for reviews that would drown out those who had downgraded the podcast. I am happy to bite. I became a fan of theirs when they were both at M-Live and I thought this was the best Michigan-focused pod going, and their movement to the Athletic is the only reason I have subscribed. Together they combine deep knowledge of football and basketball. They tell it like it is or at least as they see it, and can be brutally honest. Their bantering about extraneous matters like Brendon’s golf game or favorite bars adds to the show’s charm as does their occasional blue language. This is just what one would expect from two reporters whose written stories are also outstanding in game coverage and extended journalism. The only knock is that their appeal wa diluted when The Athletic made them add coverage of MSU to their repertoire because the quality of their conversing, writing and reporting is entirely Michigan. 😃

The rapport between Brendan and Nick is terrific! They have a certain something that works! Brendan’s take on things makes Nick laugh and visa versa! Nick is a terrific football “explainer!” I have learned so much from reading his work, and listening to him! Brendan has a “joi de vivre” that is contagious! “Tip your servers and waiters!”

Best Michigan/MSU podcast out there. Best part is Brendan’s Northeastern accent which makes “Golf” “Gaaaahhhhffff”

Hands down the best treatment of Michigan and Michigan football and men’s basketball. I’ve listened to and read Nick and Brendan’s work since they arrived at MLive and they are consistently objective and informative in their analysis and reporting. Do I mostly fast forward past the MSU content? Yes, I do. Regardless, subscribe, rate, and tip your bartenders and servers. #GoBlue

Perfect combination of serious insight with humor and fun. Can’t recommend these dudes enough!

Great podcast as always fellas! In my opinion, still remain the most objective and entertaining podcast for both of these teams for both major sports. And felt the need to get in on this review blitz as well 🤪

Hands down the best Michigan football and men’s basketball podcast. Nick and Brendan have great rapport and great insight.

Nick and Brendan provide great insight into both UM and MSU while being fair and balanced. It always feels like I’m sitting down with a few buddies talking sports over a some beers when I tune in. Keep up the great work, and leave the swearing, makes it feel authentic!

Long time listener since their MLive days. Nick and Brendan pulls no punches yet doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Signed long suffering Michigan fan and alum from Berlin, Germany

Great information and entertaining. Above and beyond newspapers. Love the swearing

I’m a Michigan fan, but it is kind of nice being able to keep up with the Spartans as well.

Brendan and Nick are talented writers who provide OBJECTIVE and balanced analysis of UM and MSU sports. As a diehard football and basketball fan who desperately seeks objective news and analysis on Michigan programs, this trusted pod has been my primary go-to since its birth. You won’t find homer talk and exaggerated, glass always full takes - just truthful insight from two reliably knowledgeable and effective communicators. I recommend this pod to anyone with interest in UM or MSU sports. Keep up the awesome work, guys!

As a Michigan fan who listens to a lot of podcasts and reporters about Michigan I have to say Brendan Quinn is the best. This podcast is very informative but also a lot of fun to listen to. I often find myself laughing while get a lot of information. Keep up the good work. This is an adult show so cursing is okay with me.

I love the writing and podcasts both of you guys do! I’m an MSU fan and think you do a nice job of talking about my squad and that of the enemy. I appreciate the humor and the swearing. I look forward to the listen each week! Keep up the great work!

Extremely knowledgeable and yet they understand how insane the college sports landscape can be. It feels like you are invited to pull up a bar stool with them at your favorite bar to listen to jaded yet inspired stories about the ins and outs of some of the best, yet flawed programs in the nation. They are the Woodward and Bernstein of the Big 10… they are also Beavis and Butthead… and it’s a perfect mix. Nick’s velvet voice tells you the facts about your favorite O-line while BQ tells you the best 90’s Philadelphia high school b-ball point guard and hot golf tips. Don’t forget to tip your bartenders and servers! - Long time fan from Kalamazoo.

I hardly ever leave reviews but am leaving this one to discourage any attempts at tamping down the outrageous behavior. Please keep the convo spicy.

These 2 are by far the best podcast on Michigan sports. Even if they have ventured into now covering sparty too.. they’re so good together that I can overcome my hate for MSU and still listen to Nick and Brendan. I’ve listened since they were on MLIVE together and subscribe to the athletic solely for them. These guys are the best combo that talk Michigan sports, they keep it 100% real and don’t sugar coat anything. 10/10. P.S. swear more guys, chase the soft ears away.

Nick and Brendan are hilarious and so entertaining! Their candid conversations and stories are the best. I’m a Michigan fan and appreciate hearing their input and thoughts on MSU that are fair and balanced.

And I even stopped on rowing my Hydrow to write this. Going to have a terrible split. But a great podcast. Thanks!!

Takes just hot enough to keep it lit. Great insights. Love the golf talk. Keep up the great work. Both deserve a raise.

They’re not one sided and defy don’t swear too much.

I’ve been listening to Nick and Brendan podcasts since their MLive days. While the focus has expanded to include both UofM and MSU, their chemistry has remained. They have a great way of playing off each other that is entertaining no matter the topic.

You guys keep it real, and that’s all I can ask a reporter to be. “I had no idea how high you could fly.” - Michael Scott

I don’t think there is enough swearing! Keep up the great work guys!

Giving a 5* review because I want them to read it on the podcast ;) But really, I can always count on Brandon and Nick to give the most realistic picture of Michigan basketball and football. They are not afraid of the fan base.

Giving you guys a review because you demanded it…okay I suppose you’ve earned it too. Thanks for your insight and comedy.

If you are a fan of A-10 basketball and/or pro wrestling, then this is the podcast for you! They occasionally also talk about Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball

I only had to listen to two podcasts to realize this podcast is no-go. These guys don’t do their research and have no business talking college football (specifically MSU football). They can be off topic and use bad language too.

That’s it. That’s the podcast.