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Hotline League

Travis Gaffordpodcasters.spotify.com
Call in show about League of Legends Esports hosted by Travis Gafford and Cubbyxx, featuring guests from all across the LCS.
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Episodes

Would ROSTER CHANGES make NRG WORSE? Is BERSERKER a C9 LIABILITY? feat. Zven | Hotline League 311

00:00:00 Intro 00:16:44 rawnblade's take: NRG will get worse with roster changes, not better 00:30:05 LestForce's take: the LCS is trying too hard to make trash talk a thing 00:44:20 Zven wants to talk about IMT's branding 00:49:30 GreenCervidae's take: LCS needs more former pros on broadcast 01:04:40 Titan's take: TL will make it to LCS Finals against C9 01:19:44 SCared's take: Zven should replace Zeyzal as support and Licorice replace Fakegod 01:31:35 Dragosi's take: Massu has solidified himse...

Mar 19, 20242 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 311

SPICIEST PRE-PLAYOFFS TAKES! + TL roster drama feat. PapaSmithy and Andy | Hotline League 310

00:00:00 Intro - Playoffs incoming, a sprinkle of drama 00:20:30 Gambirino's take: shifting from a live patch to a fixed patch for Playoffs will test the teams 00:37:40 icebreaker's take: from a product/hype perspective, 100T is the best team to send to MSI 00:51:22 Human Boy YesYes's take: DIG and TL have better shots at MSI than NRG and C9 01:07:40 Skizzle's take: C9 can't beat 100T if they maintain their 0-3 superweek form 01:19:55 deeeep space's take: DL's comments on Dodo are an example of ...

Mar 12, 20242 hr 11 minSeason 1Ep. 310

WHY LCS should DROP SPLITS! BEST ADC in NA?! feat. Inero and Kelsey Moser | Hotline League 309

Follow Travis on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/travisgafford Support: https://linktr.ee/tgisupport 00:00:00 Intro 00:24:53 Scatter Catt's take: the LCS should stop doing separate seasonal splits altogether 00:37:10 Miyaour's take: the three-week break could've been used better 00:52:30 mikey's take: bvoy has consistently been the best ADC in the league 01:03:30 bb's take: this is G2 and C9's best chance to win at international tourneys 01:16:24 Tbone's take: LCS should ditch spring split in favor of ...

Mar 05, 20242 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 309

Can LCS teams INNOVATE on LIVE PATCH? feat. 100T Goldenglue, Spookz + Joseph | Hotline League 308

00:00:00 Intro - triple-guest episode 00:21:50 ezra's take: 100T's success proves how important coaching staff is 00:35:40 Mastergen1's take: there's a lack of innovation on the live patch 00:49:55 Tim wonders about Sniper's skills outside his comfort zone 00:58:46 waka asks 100T how they feel about the state of LCS and the game itself 01:11:05 trasterisk's take: Spawn and Goldenglue are great examples of how T2 works 01:30:30 katmandu asks how 100T staff feels about the 2-week break 01:41:12 pp...

Feb 20, 20242 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 308

Revenge's FAREWELL to LCS and HONEST player perspectives feat. Raz | Hotline League 307

00:00:00 Intro 00:25:53 Stevenator's take: for the first time in his career, Blaber is not a top 3 jungler in LCS 00:40:18 Gambirino's take: Quid has made a strong case to be rookie of the split if eligible 00:54:03 dctheking asks Revenge for a donezo manifesto - best and worst teammates, etc. 01:18:01 sandytoes' take: LCS is stabilizing 01:42:20 Travis asks Revenge if he'd encourage new players to try and go pro 02:00:10 Polowy asks Revenge how important Academy teams are to LCS teams in terms ...

Feb 13, 20242 hr 42 minSeason 1Ep. 307

Who's to BLAME on C9? Are Bo3s WORTH? feat. Spawn and Yeon | Hotline League 306

00:00:00 Intro 00:10:55 Cubby asks Spawn and Yeon about their reunion 00:15:50 Travis asks Spawn about external factors he's noticed 00:22:00 gengariffith's take: people should blame coaches over players for lack of direction on C9 00:38:35 Muzvein's take: Eyla is finally in a position to succeed 00:47:30 Davis's take: 8 teams has been great for the league in terms of parity and narratives 01:08:00 David's take: How about them Thieves? 01:20:55 twinkletoes asks HLL about the status of NA esports...

Feb 06, 20242 hrSeason 1Ep. 306

Why the PROS show is AMAZING! Should LCS teams run TRYOUTS? feat. KangasCasts | Hotline League 305

00:00:00 Intro - LCS and TGI updates 00:15:55 treethan's take: we should do team tryouts in NA like they do in KR 00:30:40 play's take: team owners should be livid about Riot's broadcast shortcomings 00:57:09 franz's take: if TL doesn't start picking up wins, they should drop CoreJJ not APA 01:13:12 brandywine's take: the PROS show is the best thing to happen for the scene in years 01:30:10 skizzle's take: SR's failure to keep Chime and pick up a good top laner is the cause of their poor perform...

Jan 30, 20242 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 305

LCS SPRING during ESPORTS WINTER! LIVE PATCH, format, and more! feat. Palafox | Hotline League 304

00:00:00 Intro 00:07:45 Cubby and Palafox chat about Palafox's growth as an NA mid laner and 2024 mentality 00:21:50 Bluejay's take: with LCS being on live patch, innovation should be rewarded 00:32:58 bearusAurelius wants to talk about APA's tweet and wonders if LCS needs more games 00:47:57 nizzy2k11's take: the LCS needs more content like Jatt's 15 minute talk with players 01:00:30 Alienware break! 01:02:40 Emily joins HLL to ask Palafox about Azir 01:16:25 rawnblade asks Palafox how he feels...

Jan 23, 20242 hr 18 minSeason 1Ep. 304

Can LCS HYPE surpass LEC hype levels?! HALL OF LEGENDS + more feat. MARKZ | Hotline League 303

00:00:00 Intro 00:15:04 Franz asks Mark how LCS can match energy of LEC games ie. KC vs. MAD 00:30:30 Farmerginge wants to discuss having pro play take place on the live patch 00:39:50 murderino's take: no NA player should qualify for the new Hall of Legends 00:53:25 Alienware break 00:56:30 Wizery asks Mark for examples of past content that shined or missed the mark 01:12:00 gil asks Mark how his career so far is informing his new role 01:25:40 beans's take: Riot banning live coverage of NACL q...

Jan 16, 20241 hr 54 minSeason 1Ep. 303

LCS 2024 CHANGES? Does JENSEN have something to PROVE?! feat. Svenskeren | Hotline League 302

00:00:00 Intro 00:16:20 Tom's take: With the LCS down to 8 slots + a shorter schedule, early wins matter more 00:28:54 Bluejay's take: this is Jensen's biggest "proving" season since his debut 00:43:03 Cloud asks about svenskeren's coaching experience 00:53:45 Alienware break! 00:57:40 treethan's take: teams can't turn down sketchy opportunities in the current esports climate 01:19:35 JamJon's take: FLY has a better roster for growing Massu than 100T have to grow Meech 01:29:41 Davis's take; the...

Jan 09, 20241 hr 52 minSeason 1Ep. 302

NRG's Rise, Changing Game Days, High-Power Players and More: 2023 in Review | Hotline League 301

00:00:00 Intro 00:08:22 farmerginge wants to talk about worrying viewership numbers going into 2024 00:20:20 manny is excited to see LCS come back to the weekends and hopes for a bo3 format 00:32:50 mogul's take: props to NRG for exceeding expectations as underdogs 00:39:45 Alienware break! 00:43:33 evies talks about offseason and broadcast 00:52:35 olympius conspiracy: 2023 proved that C9 is content with regional success and resting on NA laurels 01:02:20 max's take: LCS 2023 had the highest av...

Dec 19, 20231 hr 49 minSeason 1Ep. 301

From CO-HOST to COMMISSIONER: MarkZ leads the LCS into 2024! What's next? | Hotline League 300

00:00:00 Intro 00:16:33 outsane asks Mark why he's the man for the job 00:31:31 fearfactor's take: better comms are necessary for the LCS to improve 00:39:12 farmerginge asks Mark what viewers should keep in mind while they wait for implementation 00:50:22 Avajou asks Mark for his favorite HLL moments 01:03:05 Andrew asks if TGI can be unbiased? 01:11:59 DoubleG's take: MarkZ IS the man for the job 01:19:45 Cody's take: the LCS might struggle to fill Mark's shoes on the broadcast at first 01:29:...

Dec 13, 20232 hr 24 minSeason 1Ep. 300

TL STEVE'S TAKES on a SMALLER LEAGUE and LCS ACADEMY! Strongest team EVER? | Hotline League 299

Check out Alienware's deals: http://alienware.com/travis https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/deals/pc-gaming-deals Help protect 30% of the ocean by 2030: https://bit.ly/3ucafsV Follow Travis on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/travisgafford Support: https://linktr.ee/tgisupport 00:00:00 Intro 00:20:25 chief's take: the grassroots part of LCS is what made it great 00:33:45 TL Steve calls in to talk 8 teams and offseason 01:01:05 Alienware deals! 01:05:25 hexblast's take: the biggest loss from the two downsiz...

Nov 21, 20232 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 299

BANGER SEMIS, MOST DOMINANT FINALS EVER?! Playstyles, Patches and more | Hotline League 298

00:00:00 Intro 00:30:45 mr.bojangles' take: It's exciting that Shopify Rebellion is pulling talent from the NACL 00:43:16 leo's take: this is going to be the most one-sided Finals in Worlds history 00:52:52 Alienware break! HUGE DEALS! 00:55:50 bearus' take: WBG has the play style to beat T1 01:05:25 basil's take: Fudge has been receiving undeserved hate 01:18:30 Suta's take: FLY is going to lose all fanbase momentum they had from last season regardless of results 01:37:20 farmerginge's take: re...

Nov 13, 20231 hr 55 minSeason 1Ep. 298

BIG OFFSEASON RUMORS! Why NA and EU should compete against each other + more! | Hotline League 297

00:00:00 Intro - Welcome Jonathon! Travis reviews BlizzCon 2023, NRG's Worlds experience 00:13:42 Sentiment towards NA on international stage 00:24:30 Jonathon on NRG situation 00:33:10 Offseason trends and narratives 01:04:20 Alienware break! 01:07:40 farmerginge's take: NA roster building is the 'fat loss pill' of the esports world 01:23:50 Spencer's take: the no.1 takeaway from Worlds is that NA and EU need to compete against each other more 01:35:45 mogul's take: TL is going to lose fans and...

Nov 07, 20232 hr 13 minSeason 1Ep. 297

NRG's Worlds climb-- how far will they go!? G2's scrims vs stage games + more! | Hotline League 296

00:00:00 Intro - Worlds updates, G2 Mark costume 00:27:40 dctheking's take: people are exaggerating the issues with Swiss 00:43:03 t-bone's take: NRG got the best possible matchup for Quarters 00:56:10 Alienware break! 00:58:50 yami's take: G2 posting scrims results was wildly disrespectful 01:19:45 KERNEL PANIC's take: teams are not going to stick to core development despite NRG's success 01:40:06 sling0's take: NRG performance proves that lack of path to pro in NA is detrimental to the region ...

Nov 01, 20232 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 296

CaptainFlowers's INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH for NA! Is G2 the DARK HORSE of the West?! | HLL 295

00:00:00 Intro 00:07:20 Play-Ins updates 00:26:40 Captain Flowers joins HLL to talk NA at Worlds 00:36:21 Justin's take: C9 is NA's worst team at Worlds 00:46:24 franz's take: G2 will make semifinals and should be a lesson to other orgs to invest in players 00:58:40 Alienware break! 01:01:17 rawnblade's take: Adam, BDS top laner, shows how you can earn fans through unique playstyle 01:09:10 rudy's take: the Bo3 qualifiers and elims are going to be the death of the LPL, only JDG will qualify, so ...

Oct 19, 20231 hr 55 minSeason 1Ep. 295

What does GRIND and GLORY mean to NA? Prince leaves FLY, Worlds speculation and more | HLL 294

00:00:00 Intro 00:23:00 reassure's take: keep supporting NA! 00:32:08 Xcelsior's take: The bracket did not select the 4th best team in the LCS to play for Worlds. GG's collapse was basically the worst in history of the LCS 00:43:43 Sammic's take: with Prince potentially leaving LCS, it's time to stop rotating the wheel of imports in LCS. This falls on Riot to fix. 00:54:45 Raz critiques Travis's take on imports 01:07:25 Alienware break! 01:10:15 DirectorDonut's take: GGs performace highlights wh...

Oct 10, 20232 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 294

WHAT'S UP with LCS GAMECHANGERS? WHO is the BEST NA TEAM at WORLDS? feat. Astrocats Avril | HLL 292

00:00:00 Intro 00:12:40 rudy asks Avril about her collegiate experience 00:22:22 max's take: Gamechangers feels like a very underdeveloped event 00:45:01 rexFC asks: what can Riot do to get more diversity in the LCS? 00:58:28 On Representation 01:07:00 Worlds Format announcement 01:09:20 Alienware! 01:12:15 fez's take: this year's Worlds is more important than any other for keeping Westerners interested 01:21:55 figment's take: TL is NA's best team at Worlds this year 01:34:50 EMENES response re...

Sep 19, 20232 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 292

VIEWER BURNOUT, an HONEST look at LCS History, Gamechangers and more! | Hotline League 291

00:00:00 Intro - news and Reddit thread on improving the LCS 00:48:04 KAPPY's take: Riot should implement a rule that players can only switch major regions every two years 00:57:28 spencer's take: viewer burnout could be alleviated with more focus on entertainment 01:14:20 BB's take: move to Bo3! 01:28:46 zextrap points out difference between tsports and esports priorities 01:48:25 Invictus's take: Riot should adopt a standard rotation 02:00:10 Lore rant 02:06:00 numiii's take: LCS Gamechangers ...

Sep 12, 20232 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 291

TOAST'S TAKE on the SOUL OF ESPORTS! What REALLY drives viewership? feat. Emily Rand | HLL 290

00:11:47 Iron thinks Toast should help IMT 00:23:50 yami wants to talk creators and NACL 00:42:50 dez's take: the overpolishing of esports has killed a lot of the scene 01:01:45 Alienware break 01:08:00 Emily Rand joins HLL 01:16:10 chadcyberdemon asks about transition from journalism to stage 01:25:54 lazerfruit's take: GG will beat BDS 3-1 and are/will be the second strongest NA team at worlds 01:35:20 fearidan's take: LCS has been super entertaining, but it's not enough 01:51:20 sylveke's tak...

Sep 06, 20232 hr 14 minSeason 1Ep. 290

LCS LONGEVITY! Can NA keep up?! Team owners' takes, Riot press conference and more | HLL 289

00:00:00 Intro 00:18:27 Talocy's take: NA LoL needs to change its team practice standards to become competitive internationally 00:30:30 alexbad's take: Riot needs to take their PR much more seriously 00:59:00 Alienware break! 01:01:47 Shorn's take: LCS is fine if longevity is the goal 01:18:50 ben's take: VALORANT is Riot's no.1 priority 01:31:30 LordAudie's take: TL Steve's comments on team priority further confirm why LCS is in its current state 01:48:05 pop pop's take: Steve's take on fanbas...

Aug 29, 20231 hr 56 minSeason 1Ep. 289

NRG VICTORY LAP! The value of ENVIRONMENT over SUPERSTARS feat. NRG Palafox and Croissant | HLL 288

00:00:00 Intro 00:24:26 tuft DEMANDS an apology from Travis and Mark 00:35:00 lazerfruit's take: Palafox is best mid NA and NRG has the best chance of upsetting at Worlds 01:02:08 Dhokla asks Palafox what was going through his head at 24 mins in game 4 01:12:42 dctheking's take: the year of NA mids is fraudulent. NA mids aren't better, imports are just worse. Palafox and APA will get exposed at Worlds 01:26:30 ivzz's take: NRG winning LCS proves that having a well-coached team w good environment...

Aug 23, 20232 hr 1 minSeason 1Ep. 288

UNSUNG HEROES vs. FRAUDS of Summer Split?! The state of NA vs. EU in 2023!? feat. Treatz | HLL 287

00:00:00 Intro 00:20:40 good guy tim has been impressed with FBI 00:33:00 mikey asks treatz if it's fair for costreamers to dump on LCS level of play 00:44:20 Alienware break! 00:47:20 King of Vocal Fry's take: TL series proved Unforgiven was so overrated and did not deserve to be all pro 00:56:15 Dave's take: costreaming negativity comes from spectator perspective 01:04:38 fist's take: TL v GG proved that Summit is a liability 01:14:28 ricky's take: GG is better than every possible EU 4th seed ...

Aug 15, 20232 hrSeason 1Ep. 287

100T's Roster Struggles; NRG GREATER than they appear?! DIG to the TOP!? feat. Spica | HLL 286

00:00:00 Intro 00:19:52 Munchkin predicts: DIG will beat GG, TL will beat EG, DIG will beat TL 00:35:45 Bluejay's take: Bugi, Insanity and Chime should be treated as valuable free agents 00:45:30 Alienware break! 00:49:26 MagiMick's take: 100T hasn't been able to put together a winning roster yet 01:01:28 Cool asks Spica about how culture and management affect teams 01:11:11 gyro's take: teams like NRG have always been greater than the sum of their parts 01:25:00 Cptn Turtleman's take: C9 is goi...

Aug 08, 20231 hr 53 minSeason 1Ep. 286

Why EG is NOT a one-trick team! Is Contractz a TOP 3 JUNGLER? Playoffs predictions + more! | HLL 285

00:00:00 Intro - Barbenheimer, LCS news and All-Pro voting 00:35:51 Jae shouts out Wildturtle for his longevity and impact 00:44:30 Zemelci's take: EG isn't just an OTP team and Revenge proved it 01:00:00 Alienware break 01:02:55 Cpt Turtleman returns to predict that C9 will have a near-perfect run through Playoffs 01:12:20 Yami's take: GG will overperform C9 at Worlds because their team is more well-rounded 01:24:05 T-Bone's take: FLY should stick together next year, except maybe midlane 01:38:...

Aug 01, 20232 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 285

Who is the BEST NA TRIO?? Which team should be KICKED out of the LCS? feat. Cubby | HLL 284

00:00:00 Intro 00:26:24 warpenguin's take: IMT should be KICKED out of the LCS 00:42:50 aggro's take: River will rob Blaber of MVP this split 00:58:50 Alienware break 01:00:50 Kon's take: we should wait til the split's over to critique viewership count 01:17:55 jnt50's take: NA midlaners outperformed imports for the first time in LCS history 01:32:00 littletree's take: EG not making top 4 nor Worlds 01:42:20 CptTurtleman's take: C9 trio of Blaberfish2, Fudge and Lord Zven will continue to domina...

Jul 25, 20231 hr 55 minSeason 1Ep. 284

Could 100T MISS Playoffs?! How can LCS players achieve career longevity? Blaber the GOAT? | HLL 283

00:00:00 Intro 00:13:30 SydeB's take: NA's 4th seed will soundly beat EU's 4th seed for the Worlds spot this year 00:26:55 Mauricio's take: 100T is gonna finish 9th and miss Playoffs 00:46:00 Vall3y's take: FLY will bounce back 00:53:05 Alienware break! 00:55:55 Henry's take: GG is the best and maybe only hope for NA at Worlds 01:11:00 munchkin's take: NRG to Worlds 01:21:30 Observer's take: none of the MVP frontrunners have been POTW so far 01:32:44 dixiecup's take: LCS players need to do more ...

Jul 17, 20232 hr 9 minSeason 1Ep. 283
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