ESPN Daily: Recent Episodes

ESPN, Pablo Torre

Wake up to the best sports story you'll hear all day. Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. The breaking news of SportsCenter. The deep dive storytelling of 30 for 30. Get the very best of ESPN. Daily.

The first regular season of the WNBA’s superteam era has concluded, and we set our sights towards the playoffs. The two most talked about teams all season have been the Las Vegas Aces, who added the GOAT Candace Parker to their championship core of Aja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum. Meanwhile in the Eastern Conference, the New York Liberty brought in Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot to complement Sabrina Ionescu. The investments seem to have paid off for both teams, as they’ve secured the top two seeds in the postseason and are in prime position to win it all, despite a season-ending knee injury to Parker for Las Vegas.

Don’t sleep on the rest of the field, though. The Atlanta Dream are making their first playoff appearance in five years, led by top draft pick Aliyah Boston. The Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun, and Chicago Sky are all in the mix this year.

So today, ESPN’s LaChina Robinson joins us to break down everything you need to know about this year’s WNBA postseason…and reflect on the most important player who isn’t in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has now been 50 years since a new genre of music was birthed out of the Bronx: Hip Hop. And over the last half century, it has grown and spread across the globe to become one of America’s greatest exports.

And throughout its life, the genre has developed this symbiotic-like relationship with sports. They became two pillars of Black culture… empowering a community to be heard and celebrated against the backdrop of cultural oppression and political persecution.

So today, ahead of the premiere of E:60’s “The Crossover”, our good friend, Justin Tinsley, joins the show to explain how hip hop, and sports, became the dominant voices of a generation.

You can check out the latest E60 special, "The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports" narrated by Busta Rhymes, tonight at 7:30 Eastern on ESPN or afterwards on ESPN plus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The job of NFL head coach is notoriously brutal. It involves endless hours of grinding tape and scheming up gameplans, not to mention endless headaches from logistical challenges, personnel issues, and public relations battles. It’s not for the faint of heart. And yet, after a theoretically relaxing season away from the game of football, 59-year-old Sean Payton has elected to return to the grind as the new head coach of the Denver Broncos.

So today, with the NFL season upon us, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham explains how, in spite of the litany of grudges and grievances Payton has held against the league for many years, he just can’t quit this game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spain are the Women’s World Cup champions for the first time ever. That should be the story. The moment should have been euphoric, a historic triumph for the best players in the world. But it all changed when Spanish Soccer Federation President Luis Rubiales grabbed and kissed forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent. Now, instead of celebrating, Spanish players have taken a stand and are refusing to play another game for Spain unless Rubiales is removed from his position, which he has refused to step away from voluntarily.

ESPN Soccer reporter Alex Kirkland is based in Madrid, and joins the show to take us inside this firestorm…which shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska is the house that Tom Osborne built. It’s the hallowed place where so many Cornhusker fans of a certain age remember the football team dominating the 1990s, winning national championships, and breaking NCAA records. Memorial Stadium also holds the record for longest streak of sellout games…but there’s one game taking place there tonight that might set a whole nother record of its own.

The Nebraska women’s volleyball team is set to play against the University of Nebraska, Omaha tonight at Memorial Stadium, and a crowd of over 91,000 is expected. That has the potential not just to set a new attendance record at the stadium…it can possibly be the most attended women’s sporting event in the world.

So today, ESPN’s Liz Merrill tells us how this all came together, why it’s such a big deal…and why it’s really not as much of a surprise as outsiders might think it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever played sports, or really, any physical activity, then you’re most likely familiar with the Burpee. We’ve all done them and from junior high gym class, to military boot camp, to the Crossfit Games, the burpee remains undefeated. This unique blend of strength training and cardio is often used to bring teams together – such as in the case of the Detroit Lions under head coach Dan Campbell – despite simultaneously tearing your insides apart.

But where did this whole thing begin? And why? And where did that name come from?

Today, ESPN’s Dave Fleming tells the tale of the secret history of the burpee. The humble calisthenic that became the one exercise to rule them all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This might be the most anticipated college football season in recent memory. USC looks ready to build off of last season and rally around the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams, but can their defense keep up? Can Colorado, now led by Deion Sanders, be competitive after so many years as a Pac-12 cellar dweller? The Big 12 also prepares for its last season before realignment shakes up the entire conference as we know it, so how will Texas and Oklahoma do in their farewell tours before they bolt for the SEC? And speaking of the SEC, Georgia lost several key contributors from last year’s national championship team, but can their new faces do enough to help them run it back? And why does it feel so quiet over in Alabama?

ESPN’s Spencer Hall surveys the college football landscape for us, and he tells us what to expect from this season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2022 college football season was almost a dream for USC. Led by a flashy new coach in Lincoln Riley – who brought his star quarterback Caleb Williams with him – the Trojans finished with an 8-1 record in the Pac-12. Williams cemented himself as the best player in the nation throughout his Heisman-winning campaign, and there was an electricity surrounding the Coliseum that hadn’t been felt in a generation.

But the dream came to a sudden halt in the Pac-12 Championship Game, as the Trojans lost to Utah for the second time in 2022. Giving away a 15-point fourth quarter lead to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl only rubbed salt in the wounds, and the Achilles heel of this team became evident, as their defense ended the year one of the worst in the nation.

So today, ahead of their season opener this weekend, ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti tells us how Williams has been prepping for the new season, what USC has done to address their glaring holes on the opposite side of the ball…and if it’s enough to get them to the College Football Playoff for the first time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While we’ve hit a break in Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Simone Biles’ leg has just begun. Biles returned to competition at the US Classic in early August, where she became an all around champion after a two-year hiatus from gymnastics. Back in 2021, Biles pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health concerns - and many wondered if that was the last time we’d ever see her on the mat. But now, she intends to return to the Games at the 2024 Paris Olympics. So today, Alyssa Roenigk tells us why Simone Biles is ready to begin again…and how since Tokyo, everything has changed for US gymnastics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As always the offseason brought a ton of change: In Chicago, the Bears doubled down on their franchise quarterback, Justin Fields, and surrounded him with talent. Head coach Sean Payton returns to the sidelines in hopes of fixing Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. The Minnesota Vikings decided that now is the time to look to the future, despite winning 13 games in 2022.

So with the start of the NFL season right around the corner, fans throughout the league are filled with hope and anticipation that the beginning of a new year always brings. Those great expectations can end in playoff appearances and Super Bowl wins, or missed opportunities and overwhelming disappointment.

Bill Barnwell delivers his annual dissertation on which teams are set to rise and which can expect a fall when all is said and done this NFL season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: American football icon travels across the Atlantic to inspire a small market English football club and in the process, falls in love with the people and community. And while Ted Lasso might be finished (for now), there are some real life examples of American athletes and celebrities getting involved with English football: LeBron James has been a partial investor in Liverpool FC since 2011, Tom Brady is an investor of Birmingham City, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney own Wrexham FC, and as of May: J.J. Watt and his wife Kealia are minority owners in Burnley FC.

Connor O’Halloran toured the small town of Burnley with the Watt’s, and he talked to them about their experience with the team, the fans who love the club, and why they wanted to buy into English soccer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2022 season started off great for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After struggling in his first two seasons in the NFL, it looked like he had turned a corner alongside new head coach Mike McDaniel and star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But then Tua suffered an injury against the Bills that left almost everyone concerned for his health. The following week against Cincinnati, Tua suffered a concussion, in a horrifying scene on national television. And not too long after that, he suffered another, effectively ending his season and almost his career. But Tua ultimately decided to return, and may have found a way to protect himself on the field: by learning jiu-jitsu.

So today, ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques explains how Tua’s martial arts training can translate onto the field…and how it might be the key to him staying healthy and prolonging his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we last talked about Lionel Messi on this show, ahead of his debut for Inter Miami, we talked about how he might find Major League Soccer tougher than expected. But as it turns out, we were very, very wrong. Messi continues to remind us why he is the GOAT, as he’s scored nine goals in his first six matches throughout the Leagues Cup, and he’s barely broken a sweat while doing so, even at the age of 36.

So today, ahead of the Leagues Cup final between Inter Miami and Nashville SC this weekend, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray tells us why Messi’s absolute dominance says more about Messi than it does about MLS…and how it will help the league in the long run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2009, audiences flocked to the theater to see a heartwarming movie, ‘The Blind Side.’ Based on a true story, the film depicts a young, Black man named Michael Oher who came from an unstable background, getting adopted by a wealthy white family, who then helped propel him to NFL stardom as an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. By the time its box office run ended, “The Blind Side” earned the moniker "highest-grossing sports movie of all time" and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, where Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy. But now, in real life, the sentimental story has gone sideways. Its central character, Michael Oher, claims the Tuohy family never adopted him at all, and instead took advantage of him. The Tuohy family strongly denies these claims. So today, Michael Fletcher, who first broke this story, digs into these stunning allegations and explains how the truth of Michael Oher’s story has become harder to find. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chargers are a little different from some of the teams that have never won a Super Bowl. They seem to always find themselves in the playoff hunt. They’ve always had great names on the team: Dan Fouts, Junior Seau, LaDanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Phillip Rivers. Even this current iteration of the team has premiere talent with quarterback Justin Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler, wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, and in the secondary with Derwin James and JC Jackson.

But for some reason, regardless of talent, the Chargers have always come up short in the biggest spots. Often in spectacular fashion. According to Lindsey Thiry, there’s a name for that phenomenon: Chargering.

She joins the show to explain how chargering has been around as long as the team has, how it’s the only logical explanation for some of the most spectacular collapses in the team’s history…and what this year’s team can do to put chargering behind them once and for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year ago, a Little League qualifying game that should have been remembered as one team’s ticket to Williamsport, became known for so much more. One batter, Isaiah Jarvis, was hit in the head by a wayward pitch. He was able to take first base and stay in the game, however the opposing pitcher, Kaiden Shelton, was still visibly shaken up by what had transpired. Then, the world stopped when Jarvis walked to the mound with a gift that everyone could use a lot more of – compassion. He embraced Shelton, offered him some words of encouragement, and the game went on.

So today, Liz Merrill tells us the story of that moment and how a couple of 12-year-olds reminded us all about the power of sportsmanship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life can change in an instant. For San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb, that instant came on a December evening in 2021, when a national epidemic – opiate addiction – stopped being a statistic and became personal. In that moment of profound loss, he discovered a new purpose that would take him well beyond the baseball field, and mean more than throwing strikes or winning games ever could.

So today, ESPN’s Sam Borden tells the story of Webb’s new mission: raising awareness on the perils of addiction, while honoring the memory of a cousin…and a friend…gone too soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Green Bay Packers kick off their preseason schedule tonight, and for the first time in three decades, someone not named Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers will be under center. Jordan Love will finally get the nod as QB1 after three years as Rodgers’ understudy. And we may finally be getting closer to knowing if Love can fill some Hall of Fame-sized shoes and be Green Bay’s third consecutive franchise quarterback…or if we still have more unanswered questions.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky has covered the Packers for 27 years, and he joins the show to tell us about this new era in Green Bay…and how familiar this transition feels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has an unparalleled resume: head coach and GM of the Spurs for over 25 years, the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, and five championship rings to show for it. And after this weekend, Pop will finally be able to add “Hall of Famer” to that list of accomplishments. What will he do after his induction ceremony? Probably celebrate with his favorite wine: Château d’Yquem, which has its own extensive and sustained history of excellence.

So today, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes tells you about the symbiotic relationship between one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, and the drink that can possibly be his equal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Seattle Kraken are the NHL’s newest expansion team, and from their inception, they’ve done things a little differently. Case in point: their social media approach. Back in the spring during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kraken’s TikTok account was discovered by BookTok. If you’re now asking yourself, “what is BookTok?” – you’re not alone. BookTok is a community on TikTok which is comprised of creators and readers discussing all things books. BookTok embraced the Kraken, and the Kraken started posting videos that specifically targeted BookTok. The moment represented two niche fandoms coming together…and it seemed like the end of the story…until last week, when things took a bit of a turn.

If this story sounds a bit absurd so far, stay with us: it actually touches on some of the biggest issues in sports, social media, literature…and objectification. So today, Greg Wyshynski helps us explain the Seattle Kraken BookTok hockey romance controversy…and he tells us what happens when the worlds of fiction, online fandom…and real-life athletes…collide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The good news, if you're a Pac-12 Football fan, is that the 2023 season’s looking pretty good. Last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, is returning to USC. And Five Pac-12 Teams are represented in the First Top 25 Coaches Poll

The bad news… well…after 2023, the Pac-12 as we’ve traditionally known it is basically headed to the dustbin of history.

So today, college football insider Heather Dinich explains the sudden and stunning disintegration of a Power 5 conference…whether any of its peers should be worried about their own futures… and how different college football may look when the carousel finally stops turning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went down on the field in the middle of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football back on January 3rd, the last thing on anybody’s mind was his return to football…the number one question was if he would even survive. Now, seven months later, Hamlin has miraculously responded to both those questions with a resounding “yes.” He’s been a full participant at Bills training camp, and he’s slowly transitioning back to his identity as a young player trying to keep a roster spot.

So today, ESPN Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg gives us the latest on Hamlin’s comeback…and gauges how secure his roster spot really is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Women’s National Soccer Team have found themselves in an unfamiliar position going into the knockout stage of the World Cup: with their backs against the wall. The USWNT, who have historically dominated the tournament since its inception and have never finished worse than third place, struggled through the group stage…and it won’t get any easier, as a physical Sweden team awaits them in the round of 16. ESPN’s Ali Krieger is a former member of the USWNT herself, and she tells us what she’s seen on the pitch from her old team, how expansion of women’s soccer around the world has elevated this edition of the World Cup…and why there’s still hope for a USA three-peat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Jets might not have wanted to see themselves on HBO’s “Hard Knocks”, but they’re about the only people who felt that way. In ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini’s words, “everyone wants to see the Jets.” And for good reason: they have an exciting core of young talent and personalities on both sides of the ball such as Sauce Gardner and Garret Wilson, and they just traded for one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Aaron Rodgers, who had openly stated that his only desire was to play this year in a Jets uniform. On top of that, Rodgers recently agreed to restructure his contract, essentially giving back $35 million to give the front office some cap flexibility. It’s an unprecedented pay cut, and today Cimini tells us if it’s all enough to turn the Jets into legit Super Bowl contenders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The life of an NFL Offensive Lineman isn’t an easy one. If you do your job well, you are pretty much invisible, taking all the punishment so that your teammates can get all the glory. It’s all about sacrifice for the greater good of the team. And then, there’s the curious case of Joe Thomas, who had one of the most prolific careers in NFL history, despite playing on some horrible Cleveland Browns teams. Thomas played over 10,000 consecutive snaps throughout his 11-year career, none of which came in the playoffs. In fact, the only time Thomas was on a winning team was in his rookie season. But he remained loyal to Cleveland, and will finally get his glory this weekend as he’s enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

So today, ESPN Browns reporter Jake Trotter brings you Thomas’ story, and explains how he found joy in the least expected place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tension between NFL owners and running backs is continuing to escalate. In the latest development, Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts have come to a stalemate, with Taylor reportedly requesting a trade following a meeting with Colts owner Jim Irsay. Irsay has been vocal about not wanting to extend Taylor’s contract, which ends after this season…and about paying running backs in general. Irsay’s stance follows a recent trend among NFL executives: devaluing the running back position, signing them to less money, and selecting them later in the draft. What happens in the Taylor-Irsay saga has the potential to determine what path the NFL goes down at-large when it comes to their offensive backfields.

So today, ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder brings us the latest from Colts training camp…and where this dispute might go next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every football season in San Francisco brings fans another chance to lose their minds over who is starting under center. QB1 for the Niners has become a gig that no one can seem to hold onto for more than a season or two: from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance, back to Jimmy Garoppolo, and then to Brock Purdy – it seems like you never know who’s going to be in the pocket for the 49ers. We’re not calling it a curse, or even a controversy, but it has been unpredictable.

So today, Nick Wagoner takes us through the QB room of 2023, where Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, is returning from elbow surgery. The Niner’s once-heir apparent, Trey Lance is battling with another former top draft pick, Sam Darnold, for the number two spot. And he tells us what this all means for a roster that’s ready to win now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the entire American League. Yes, you read that correctly. When you think of the best team in the AL East, you might think of the New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox, or even the Tampa Bay Rays in recent years. But this year it’s the O’s who stand head and shoulders above the rest. The same team who lost 110 games two seasons ago is now led by two of the most exciting prospects in baseball in Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson…and they’ll be taking center stage this weekend, as they host the Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball, marking the first time the Orioles have done so in five years.

So today, long-suffering Orioles fan Mallory Rubin of The Ringer joins the show to break down what this run means for the O’s faithful…and how long this particular version of Orioles magic can last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journeymen quarterbacks don’t typically merit long, in-depth profiles from national reporters, nor, for that matter, from this show. But very little about Gardner Minshew is typical. With his handle-bar mustache, emotions all over his sleeves, and propensity to fashion unexpected magic off the bench, Minshew has become a walking NFL meme –– the internet always eager for another round of Minshew Mania.

So today, ESPN’s Ryan Hockensmith tells us about his lunch with Minshew, which unearthed even more surprising details about the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback, including the time he tried to break his own hand with a hammer. And then, there’s the video of a postgame hug with his dad from 2021, which explains the passion that drives – and defines – Gardner Minshew II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Training camp is officially underway and the dawn of a new NFL season is upon us. But with a new season, there are new questions: Who will live up to their expectations? Who will disappoint? Who will rise out of nowhere? And for some people around the league, the stakes are even higher. Can Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa return to his elite form? How will Kirk Cousins cement his legacy with the Minnesota Vikings? Will the Dallas Cowboys keep winning when head coach Mike McCarthy assumes playcalling duties?

So today, Bill Barnwell explains who has everything to prove among both players and coaches. This is the 2023 NFL All-Pressure Team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more than 150 years, Northwestern University has been known more for its academics than its prowess on the gridiron. The type of school that seems like the last place you would expect to find a scandal involving hazing and abuse in its football program. But over the last couple weeks, a growing list of accusations and alleged victims has come forward. Pat Fitzgerald, the Wildcats’ long time head coach and a decorated former player himself, has been fired, and the university is facing multiple lawsuits…with more likely coming.

So today, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg explains this complex case from the beginning. What we know, what we don’t…and where it might be heading next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The SEC sparks the conversation around college football at the start of seemingly every season: and it’s usually SEC teams we’re talking about at the end of the season, too. And after an offseason dominated by off the field tragedy at Georgia, violations at Tennessee, and the impending addition of both Texas and Oklahoma to the most powerful conference in college sports, 2023 promises to be no different. Ryan McGee was at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville for SEC Media Days, so he stopped by to get us prepared for the new season of SEC football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout human history, the allure of rare and mysterious artifacts has always summoned our bravest and most intrepid explorers to scour the ends of the earth. The Ark of the Covenant. The Holy Grail. And now, the Dallas Mavericks Barbie. The ultra-rare Mavs Barbie, the product of a late 90’s collaboration between Mattel and the NBA, has given collectors everywhere headaches for years as the missing piece to their Barbie collections. She is so hard to find, in fact, that some collectors have even questioned her existence. So today, ESPN’s Dave Fleming takes us inside his quest for Mavericks Barbie, why she’s so hard to find…and how he helped put an end to one collector’s 25-year pursuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington D.C. football fans rejoice: Today, NFL owners are expected to ratify the sale of the Commanders, ending Daniel Snyder’s tenure as owner. After nearly a quarter century of mediocrity, marked by scandal, accusation, ineptitude, and toxicity, an ownership group led by Josh Harris will take the reins.

So today, as Washington fans prepare to meet the new boss – whom they’re praying is anything but the same as the old boss – ESPN’s John Keim tells us how it all went so wrong during the Snyder years…and what hope now looks like in DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of the most recognizable players in the NBA, forward Bruce Brown wouldn’t be very high on the list. We’re not even sure he’d crack the top 50. But after having a breakout postseason in 2022-23 and winning a title with the Denver Nuggets, Brown was considered one of the most coveted free agents among teams with championship aspirations…which ultimately led to his two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers. Even then, understanding his value is a lot more complicated than simply pointing to a stat sheet.

So today, Ben Cohen of the Wall Street Journal is here to enlighten us and explain why Bruce Brown is cashing in, what he can teach all of us about being overlooked…and how being a good teammate can be its own super power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You aren’t nuts, we did just do a Shohei Ohtani episode two weeks ago. But when you’re dealing with MLB’s brightest star, a unicorn who can blow you away from the pitcher’s mound and then blow you out from the batter’s box, every day is something brand new. So, do a piece on Ohtani one day, and just a few hours after it’s published, he might have another historic moment.

ESPN’s Tim Keown took a different approach. He hung around the Los Angeles Angels’ clubhouse for an entire week, bookended by two Ohtani starts, to get to the bottom of who Ohtani really is, on and off the diamond. So today, Keown shares his findings…and gives us some insight into what the future might hold for Shohei Ohtani, at the trade deadline, and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States Women’s National Soccer Team has established themselves as one of the most dominant powerhouses in sports - ever. In the eight Women’s World Cups played, USA has won four of them, reached the semifinals each tournament, and has never finished lower than third place. As this edition of the team takes the field for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, we’ll see the familiar faces of Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle, and Kristie Mewis among others – but there’s also 14 players on the roster making their World Cup debut. This year’s squad is no exception to the expectations on their shoulders - and are well aware of the additional pressure that comes with the prospect of winning three World Cups in a row - something no team, men’s or women’s, has ever accomplished.

So today, with a three-peat on the line, Jeff Carlisle tells us what we can expect to see from a USWNT that continues to chase history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lionel Messi, the best soccer player of the 21st century, perhaps of all time, is coming to America. And yes, Pele decamped to New York to join the Cosmos nearly half a century ago… and David Beckham bent the soccer universe by joining the LA Galaxy in 2007. But THIS is different…this is quite possibly even bigger.

So today, ahead of Messi’s official debut for Inter Miami in MLS, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray tells us what it all means…and why Miami, specifically, is the perfect landing spot for the one and only Leo Messi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six months ago, ESPN’s Liz Merrill introduced us to the mystery of Chiefsaholic, the Kansas City Chiefs superfan who lived a lavish lifestyle, but also had been arrested for robbing an Oklahoma bank in December. So much has happened since we told that story: while awaiting his next court date, Chiefsaholic, whose real name is Xavier Babudar, reportedly cut off his ankle monitor, threw it in the woods, and skipped town. A manhunt spanning across multiple states ensued and finally came to an end last Friday, when Babudar was apprehended by the FBI. And only then did we learn that his arrest was just the tip of the iceberg.

So today, Liz Merrill returns to expand on the mystery of Chiefsaholic, whose tale has somehow become even harder to believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 21 months since then-Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden announced his resignation. Gruden had faced mounting criticism after the Wall Street Journal and New York Times obtained emails he had written between 2011 and 2018, while Gruden was working at ESPN. Several messages contained racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language directed towards several people, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. The scandal ended Gruden’s coaching career, likely for good.

But to this day, a puzzling curiosity has remained: how did such an obscure set of emails get in the hands of the media? Don Van Natta, Jr. and Seth Wickersham have spent the last several months trying to answer that question, and now have an exclusive new report out for ESPN. As Gruden pursues a lawsuit against the NFL, Van Natta joins the show to help us pull at the threads of this mystery. He shares what might have motivated the leakers, and how the leaks triggered a chain of events that ultimately led to Dan Snyder’s pending sale of the Commanders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When former national champion college basketball coach and ESPN analyst Jim Valvano accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award for his battle with cancer at the first ESPY Awards, no one was sure if he would have the strength to even take the stage. What followed was a rousing 11-minute long call to action that spurred a new chapter in the fight against cancer. Michael O’Connor, director of the SC Featured special, The Speech, shares the details of Jimmy V’s life that became encapsulated in one incredible moment of determination as his health failed, to deliver his message to the world and launch a foundation that continues working to achieve his final dream — finding a cure for cancer. To date, ESPN has helped the V Foundation raise more than $195 million for game-changing cancer research, accounting for more than half of the $310 million the V has granted to date. For more on how to donate, go to V.org/donate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of historically bad professional sports teams, there are the 1962 Mets, the 1976 Buccaneers. More recently, you’ve got the 2008 Detroit Lions or the 2017 Cleveland Browns or even this year’s Oakland Athletics…and then, there are the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. The storied franchise that had recently parted with Wilt Chamberlain and three other Hall of Famers, and hired their new coach from a classified ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This was a team that had three separate 13-game losing streaks, and didn’t even reach double digits in the win column.

Anthony Olivieri talked to members of that Sixers team, and he shares their stories about how they became the worst NBA team of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Negro Leagues’ biggest star, pitcher Satchel Paige, made his MLB debut 75 years ago this Sunday when he took the mound for the Cleveland Indians. Paige is a figure who at times feels more myth, more legend than man: his fastball was supposedly clocked at 105 mph, he estimated that he threw more than 50 no-hitters throughout his career, and he claimed to have had such a command of the baseball that he could allegedly work both corners of a chewing gum wrapper…and even his age itself is a hotly debated topic still to this day.

So today, on what might have been his 117th birthday, guest host Justin Tinsley explores the life and legacy of Satchel Paige, a man whose legendary feats may always be debated, but whose impact on the game is without question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this point, we’ve run out of superlatives to describe Shohei Ohtani. He’s not just doing things that nobody has seen in a century, he’s doing things that nobody has ever seen. In the month of June alone, Ohtani hit 15 home runs and drove in 29 RBI, while averaging .394, all while pitching over 30 innings, with 37 strikeouts along the way. And it all has us wondering, was that the best month from an individual player in MLB history? So we called up Jeff Passan to get the definitive answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of a top baseball prospect, or really any prospect in modern sports, you probably think of the kid who’s specialized from an early age and spent countless hours with personal coaches and trainers to perfect their craft…and then, there’s Arjun Nimmala. Nimmala grew up playing cricket on his family trips to India, but those skills have translated pretty well to the baseball diamond…and have made the 17 year old a likely high first round pick in Sunday’s MLB Draft. So today, Kylie McDaniel charts Nimmala’s unusual path to professional baseball …and what his success would mean to a nation of more than 1 billion potential baseball fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of Barry Bremen, a.k.a. “The Great Imposter” was already sufficiently ridiculous. Bremen was an average, suburban dad, husband, and insurance salesman who’d risen to national fame by sneaking into major sporting events. But in 2019, nearly a decade after Barry Bremen’s death, his family received a mysterious letter that changed everything. The Barry Bremen legacy was bigger and more profound than any of them had ever realized. In an encore of one of our favorite episodes, Jeremy Schapp brings us Part 2 of a tale unlike any other: one of family, and identity, and how technology has changed so many lives…and revealed so many secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a story so wild we couldn’t fit it into one podcast. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember Barry Bremen. In the late 70’s, Barry was best known for dressing up as pro athletes and sneaking into televised sporting events…including the 1979 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, where he was berated by an unamused Tommy Lasorda. And while his “Great Imposter” persona brought him fame, an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and more adventures, Barry was also a totally normal family man…and a beloved dad. Bremen died of cancer in 2011, but his story didn’t end there. In an encore of one of our favorite episodes, “The Great Imposter and Me” reveals the most unbelievable part of the Barry Bremen story, which came long after he’d hung up his phony uniforms and disguises. Jeremy Schaap brings us this story in two parts, for ESPN Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novak Djokovic is a man on a mission heading into next week’s Wimbledon: following wins at the Australian and French Opens this year, Djokovic is at the top of his game and looks nearly unstoppable. Will #1 seed Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev be up to the challenge? On the women’s side, Poland’s Iga Swiatek is ranked #1, but she’ll face tough competition from Aryna Sabalenka and last year’s champion Elena Rybakina. Could Americans Jess Pegula and Coco Gauff make a serious run? Patrick McEnroe shares his insights on this year’s tournament, and who and what he’s most excited to see from the Championships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s not exactly a hot take to say Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are the greatest shooting backcourt in NBA history. And today, their shot-making ability of a different kind will be on display, as they go head-to-head against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in The Match, a nationally televised charity golf event. But when it comes to sharpshooters hitting the links, the Splash Brothers are just the tip of the iceberg. Baxter Holmes spent months speaking to some of the best three-point shooters in NBA history…and now, he’s here to tell us why so many can’t quit that little white ball, why they’re so well-suited to the sport…and whether any might launch a new career on the course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elly De La Cruz just might be the most exciting player in baseball, and he hasn’t even been in the Major Leagues for a full month yet. While his performance has been turning heads, it’s his unique combination of power and speed that has infused the Cincinnati Reds with an energy that the city hasn’t seen in a long time. So today, Jeff Passan brings us the story of De La Cruz, tells us how real the hype is, and explains how he’s giving Reds fans something they haven’t had in more than a decade: hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA offseason is underway, with several big names already tied into upcoming trades. The next step is free agency, which officially begins on Friday. Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart and James Harden are all in the news, as are the annual “will Damian Lillard leave Portland” questions. So today, Brian Windhorst unpacks the moves we’ve already seen, and breaks out his crystal ball to take a look at what’s to come, once free agency officially begins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Women's National Team opens training camp today in preparation for next month’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The goal for team USA? Nothing less than a three-peat. The roster returns some of the biggest names in soccer…like Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz, and Alex Morgan…but also features 14 players making their World Cup debuts. So today ESPN reporter Charlotte Gibson tells the story of one of those new faces, 21-year-old Trinity Rodman. Trinity is the daughter of basketball hall of famer Dennis Rodman, but her quest to attach a new legacy to her famous last name is all her own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frederic Weis was supposed to be Victor Wembanyama before Victor Wembanyama. The 7’2 Frenchman was drafted by the Knicks in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft, and was thought to be the next great European star to crossover to the States. But one year later, in the Olympics, Weis would be on the receiving end of one of the most memorable dunks ever, when Vince Carter literally dunked over him. The narrative around Weis began to shift – suddenly he was too soft for the NBA, and he would never actually play in an NBA game. But that narrative never reflected the full truth. Now, 23 years later – as the arrival of Wembanyama is celebrated – Sam Borden gives us the story of the rise and fall and rise again, of Frederic Weis… and how, after so many years, and a great deal of pain, basketball has proved to be Frederic Weis’s salvation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The way NBA prospects get to the league looks nothing like it used to. We’ve been importing future MVPs from overseas for years now: that’s the story of Victor Wembanyama, tonight’s projected No. 1 pick. And we’ve watched the G League become the NBA’s own minor league system. That’s the story of Scoot Henderson, projected to go either No. 2 or No. 3. But the story of Amen and Ausar Thompson — who could maybe round out the top five in tonight’s NBA Draft — is something very different. Israel Gutierrez explains the rise of Overtime Elite: a viral video account that’s become a league unto itself, where the Thompson twins have taken up residence, and where they’re getting everyone to click. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Class is officially in session at Tight End University. Think of an offseason trade event, featuring the best tight ends in the NFL. It’s happening right now in Nashville for the third year in a row, and it’s the brainchild of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. So today, NFL reporter Turron Davenport gives us a crash course on his experience at TEU…and breaks down how the position is changing the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He’s the most talked about NBA prospect since LeBron James, but Victor Wembanyama is unlike any basketball player we’ve seen before. The 7’5 Frenchman is just 19 years old, and dazzles fans and scouts alike with his dynamic movement and impressive eight-foot wingspan. But until now, we hadn’t heard much from Wembanyama himself. Jonathan Givony sat down with Wembanyama for an hour in Paris to talk to him about his life in basketball so far and his upcoming NBA career – and today, he shares his story with us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 55 years ago, one of the most horrible tragedies of the civil rights movement took place in Orangeburg, South Carolina when police opened fire on a group of Black protesters outside of a bowling alley. The protesters had gathered to push for the desegregation of All-Star Bowling Lane, and when all was said and done 31 people had been shot, most of them students at nearby South Carolina State University. Three men lay dead, two members of the South Carolina State football team and a high school athlete. Andscape Senior Writer, David Dennis Jr., author of THE MOVEMENT MADE US: A FATHER, A SON, AND THE LEGACY OF A FREEDOM RIDE, tells the story of this underreported massacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For much of his life, Luke Russert felt he was growing up in the shadow of his late father, political journalist and moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” Tim Russert - who was a huge Buffalo Bills fan. After pursuing journalism himself, Luke decided to confront the pain of his loss and go on a journey of self discovery, which he wrote about in his new book, Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself. Through his travels around the world, he saw signs of his father, at places like a baseball stadium in Hiroshima, and at the Western Wall, where Luke happened to purchase a Buffalo Bills yarmulke. So today, Luke Russert joins senior writer Xuan Thai to talk about life, loss, and the powerful connection sports creates between children and parents…and what it would mean for the Bills to finally win a Super Bowl. Then, hear a parting shot on Father’s Day and baseball from Jeremy Schaap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Givony has been covering the NBA Draft for twenty years. And so he breaks out his notebook to review his draft notes on one Nikola Jokic, maybe the biggest steal in draft history. He also provides an update on Victor Wembanyama’s all but certain path to joining the Spurs. And then he takes us through the rest of the draft. Who will go second between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson? Will anyone trade up to find their next guy? And who are the sleepers outside of the lottery and into the second round? Givony breaks down everything…and everyone…you need to know in this year’s draft class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With hindsight being 20/20, there appear to be a few things PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan would like to take a mulligan on. And towards the top of this list would be using the word “merger” to describe this new alliance between three crucial parties: the PGA Tour itself, Europe’s DP World Tour, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. It was just one of many confusing developments that shook the Tour and the world of golf this past week.

So today, Mark Schlabach is here to share what he has learned about how this deal came together in the first place, why so many people are so angry about it, and whether it can withstand the many headwinds and scrutiny it now faces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jordan McNair died five years ago today, the headlines and airwaves were dominated by outpourings of anger and desperate search for answers. McNair was a football player at the University of Maryland and collapsed during the first day of summer workouts. The trainers originally thought he was suffering from cramps, but it turned out to be something much more severe. Today, John Barr tells us the story of what happened next, and how a grieving family discovered the power of forgiveness. You can watch the Outside the Lines special, “The Freedom Within,” here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 47 years since the Denver Nuggets first joined the NBA, and In that time…things haven’t always panned out. But now, the Nuggets are the verge of finally striking gold, and claiming their first NBA Championship in franchise history. So, today, with a potentially decisive Game 5 tonight, Nuggets reporter Ohm Youngmisuk tells us how Nikola Jokic has Denver positioned to ascend the NBA summit…and how the Nuggets became the most quietly dominant team in the NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sports underdog film is a hallowed, often sacred genre. When done right, underdog stories like Rocky and The Bad News Bears can become cultural touchstones. And there’s one film released in 1992 that fits the bill perfectly: The Mighty Ducks. Ever since the team came quacking onto the scene, they’ve captured the hearts of a certain generation of sports and movie fans alike. Now, they’re the subject of the new E:60 duck-umentary “Once Upon a Time in Anaheim.” So today, we bring you a sneak beak: screenwriter Steven Brill tells us what it was like to write a movie that eventually inspired a real NHL team…which ruffled a few feathers when Disney announced the team would be named the Mighty Ducks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been nearly 70 years since Wake Forest last won the College World Series. They’ve only made the trip to Omaha twice, ever. But now, the Demon Deacons are the top-ranked team in the country, with that elusive trip to Omaha now in sight. Much of the credit will rightfully go to the leadership of head coach Tom Walter. Yet beyond whatever Walter and his team are able to accomplish this month, his legacy in Winston-Salem – and as a coach – is forever sealed by something he did more than a decade ago. It’s a story about the bond between a coach and a player, but unlike any you’ve heard before. So today, on the eve of college baseball’s super regionals, Ryan McGee explains how Tom Walter came to share the gift of life when a player he barely knew needed it the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Butler’s been underestimated for most of his basketball life. Every step of the way, Butler has been forced to prove he belonged. But now, as the six-time NBA All Star Butler leads the Heat against the Nuggets in Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight, it’s easy to miss how it all started. So today Ryan Hockensmith takes us back to Butler’s college days to pinpoint the moment when Jimmy Butler became Jimmy Buckets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is Lou Gehrig Day across Major League Baseball, a day to honor the New York Yankees legend when he left the game in 1939 after he was diagnosed with ALS. And today, there’s someone else in baseball who is fighting the exact same fight Gehrig fought over 80 years ago: Sarah Langs. Sarah is a baseball researcher and analyst, and has worked for ESPN and MLB. She’s one of sports media’s brightest young voices, and Buster Olney joins us today to share her story…and how she remains unphased after life threw her a devastating curveball.

For more information on Sarah’s “Fist Bumps for ALS” campaign, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you thought that US match against Iran on Tuesday was stressful…just wait for Saturday. After years of anticipation, geopolitical strife, and endless debates about ethical concerns, the USMNT has finally made it back to the knockout stage of the World Cup. USA’s first quarterfinal berth in 20 years hangs in the balance, with just the Netherlands standing in the way. Sam Borden sets the scene for the game from Qatar, and then our old friend Roger Bennett, who has been traveling across America enthusiastically watching the World Cup, tells us what he’s learned about this country and its growing love affair with soccer…and why we should hate the Dutch.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is having a season unlike any other. From a highlight reel catch against the Bills to breaking records for most receiving yards through a player’s first three seasons, Jefferson has been this season’s breakout player. But despite his almost immediate dominance in the NFL, Jefferson was just the 5th wide receiver taken in his draft class, and coming out of high school received only one scholarship offer from a Power 5 program–LSU. Tim Keown profiled Jefferson for ESPN’s Cover Story, and he tells us how the Vikings magical wide receiver went overlooked…until his play refused to be ignored. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USC quarterback Caleb Williams does kinda look like Patrick Mahomes. They’ve got similar heights, and builds, and almost the same mop of curly hair, kept high and tight beneath a headband. And Williams also plays like Mahomes: making tackle-defying scrambles and ridiculous throws on the run. His playmaking magic has brought the Trojans back to life: they’re somehow one win away from the college football playoff. Paolo Uggetti has been covering Williams since he was a viral sensation at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C., and he helps us get to know Williams and understand his meteoric rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iran faces the US today in the final game of their group stage. It’s a win or go home for young Team USA, who earned two draws in their earlier group stage games vs. Wales and England. Off the field, Iran remains under a global spotlight after months of protests against their own regime because of the country’s stance on women’s rights. This isn’t the first time Iran and the US have met on the field during times of intense geopolitical opposition: back in 1998, the Americans lost to Iran and were eliminated from the World Cup, after the previous several decades of tensions between the two nations which saw the Iran Hostage Crisis and American support for Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war. Sam Borden is on the ground in Qatar, and he brings us up to speed on how the tournament’s gone for Team USA so far, and explains what’s at stake for both sides ahead of the match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunday’s slate of NFL action saw multiple game winning 2-point conversions, an 86 yard walk-off overtime TD run, and most unlikely of all, a dominant Jets QB performance. In Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence led the Jags to a comeback win against the Ravens. Jets QB Mike White delivered 3 touchdowns in New York’s victory over the Bears, after replacing the currently benched Zach Wilson. And the Broncos haven’t been able to make their partnership with Russell Wilson work just yet…as tensions flared in their loss to the Panthers. Our Monday QB Alex Smith tells us what he saw on the field from these games and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of Barry Bremen, a.k.a. “The Great Imposter” was already sufficiently ridiculous. Bremen was an average, suburban dad, husband, and insurance salesman who’d risen to national fame by sneaking into major sporting events. But in 2019, nearly a decade after Barry Bremen’s death, his family received a mysterious letter that changed everything. The Barry Bremen legacy was bigger and more profound than any of them had ever realized. In an encore of one of our favorite episodes of the year, Jeremy Schapp brings us Part 2 of a tale unlike any other: one of family, and identity, and how technology has changed so many lives…and revealed so many secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a story so wild we couldn’t fit it into one podcast. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember Barry Bremen. In the late 70’s, Barry was best known for dressing up as pro athletes and sneaking into televised sporting events…beginning with the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, where he shot layups on the court with stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone. And while his “Great Imposter” persona brought him fame, an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and more adventures, Barry was also a totally normal family man…and a beloved dad. Bremen died of cancer in 2011, but his story didn’t end there. In an encore of one of our favorite episodes of the year, “The Great Imposter and Me” reveals the most unbelievable part of the Barry Bremen story, which came long after he’d hung up his phony uniforms and disguises. Jeremy Schaap brings us this story in two parts, for ESPN Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Athletes often say they love the city where they play, but Giannis Antetokounmpo takes it to a new level. He’s called Milwaukee home since the team drafted him in 2013. It wasn’t a given that the Greek native, a son of Nigerian immigrants, would stay in the midwestern city. But his massive 2020 contract extension shows the love is mutual. In an encore of one of our favorite episodes from the last year, our own ESPN Daily producer (and Wisconsin native) Ryan Nantell digs into a legendary anecdote from Giannis’ rookie season that shows why he and Milwaukee have been such a good fit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 years ago today, the “Butt Fumble” was born. On November 22, 2012, a crisp Thanksgiving night, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots visited the Mark Sanchez-led New York Jets at MetLife Stadium…where in the second quarter, Mark Sanchez turned the wrong way after a snap and ran right into his right guard’s butt and fumbled the ball to an awaiting Patriots defense that promptly ran it in for a touchdown. The play became a symbol of the Jets’ dysfunction, and has been immortalized forever through video clips, replays, and memes. Former Jets head coach Rex Ryan takes us back to that dark day in Jets history, and ESPN Daily producer Chris Tumminello, who attended the Butt Fumble game, helps us commemorate the notorious anniversary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Week 11 in the NFL had the makings of a snoozefest…until the Chargers and Chiefs battled it out on Sunday night, with the Chiefs pulling off yet another last-second comeback. Just a week after putting the NFL on notice with a win over the Bills in the game of the year, the Vikings got embarrassed at home by the Dallas Cowboys. The NFC East’s good day continued as the Washington Commanders beat the Houston Texans to improve to 6-5 after starting the season 1-4…and more importantly, they finally named Taylor Heinicke their starting QB going forward. And amid all the outrage over the Colts’ hiring of Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach…prompted us to think, what actually makes someone qualified to be a head coach anyway? We brought in Alex Smith for another edition of QB Confidential, so he could help us make sense of all of this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no surprise that the athlete's mental health has been one of the biggest topics in sports in recent years, as more and more players are coming forward with the struggles they face in dealing with the constant pressure. But screaming fans and high-stakes moments are exactly what makes sports so compelling. So today, in a special crossover episode with The Old Man & The Three podcast, we offer an extended conversation with JJ Redick, who has both thrived and suffered under the pressure of elite competition, on how we should think about the strain on athletes’ mental health…while also acknowledging that watching athletes succeed or fail in high pressure situations is exactly what makes them worth watching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Cup, the biggest sporting event on the planet, begins this Sunday. While every World Cup is extreme in its own way, nothing compares to what’s going on in Qatar right now. There is the migrant worker crisis (which this podcast reported on two weeks ago). There’s the fact that Qatar is the smallest country to ever host the World Cup. And there are concerns about the rights of the LGBTQ community in Qatar and the possibility of protests in a country that historically has been very tightly controlled. Sam Borden has been covering all of the issues surrounding Qatar’s bid for years, and reports from on the ground in Doha about the most controversial World Cup ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He’s one half of the Splash Brothers, a five-time NBA All-Star, and a four-time NBA champion. He is also an avid boater. But he’s 32 years old…and coming off a torn ACL injury which was immediately followed by a torn Achilles. Couple that with the emergence of younger role players such as Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins…and the Warriors’ slow start to this season, and all of a sudden Thompson’s future with the dynasty he’s been a cornerstone for is murkier than ever. Ramona Shelburne joins us to explain how Thompson’s role has been changing…and charts the course for how both he and the Warriors can make it through these troubled waters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years One-and-Done has been the name of the game in men’s college basketball, with top programs courting superstar freshmen to play for one season before they head to the NBA. But now, with college players now legally raking in cash via Name, Image and Likeness deals, the calculus is starting to change. Many players can make as much, if not more in college than in trying their luck in the pros. It all means that college basketball in 2022 looks at once very new…but also, a little old…as star players like Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe have returned for their senior seasons and brought back the notion of “college basketball veteran.” So Myron Medcalf gets us ready for the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season…and he takes us on a campus tour unlike any we’ve ever seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Week 10 of the NFL in the books, Alex Smith stops by to talk about the Game of the Year…and catch of the year, courtesy of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson in the Vikings’ win over the Bills. Josh Allen now leads the league in interceptions, but is it time to panic in Buffalo just yet? Elsewhere in the AFC East, the now-first place Miami Dolphins steamrolled the Browns…and MVP chants echoed down on QB Tua Tagovailoa. And after everything we saw Sunday…are the Eagles still the best team in the NFL? Alex Smith answers these questions, and reflects on his time in Washington ahead of the Commanders-Eagles game on Monday Night Football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There may be no more thankless job than referee. At best, your existence is completely invisible. No one notices when you do a terrific job. At worst, you become enemy #1 for fans or coaches or in lower levels, angry parents. Combine that with low pay and high pressure, and it's no wonder why officiating is undergoing a crisis at the moment. Not enough people are willing to do the job…a job without which, the games quite literally can not go on. But, today, on Veteran’s Day, we bring you the story of a solution. And it’ll make you think differently about what this job actually is. And the people who really would love to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s arguably the greatest play in college football history. November 20th, 1982. Stanford vs. Cal. A legendary rivalry known as the “Big Game,” that was made even bigger that year by the presence of Stanford’s all-world QB, John Elway. What happened in the final seconds still echoes across 40 years…the iconic call of Cal Radio’s Joe Starkey exclaiming, “The band is out on the field!” With a new E:60 special airing Sunday, Jeremy Schaap tells the story of how five laterals and a trombone became an indelible part of college football history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being detained in Russia for 265 days, Brittney Griner is currently in the process of being transferred to a penal colony. Nobody knows where she is, and we might not find out for a while. The transfer comes shortly after U.S. officials were able to meet with Griner in person last week, and it was previously thought that the midterm elections could have been a turning point for Russia to begin negotiations for her release. But now, T.J. Quinn tells us how nobody pretty much knows anything at this point…and he explains what the message is that Russia is trying to send. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve probably heard about Brett Favre’s involvement in a welfare fraud scandal in his home state of Mississippi. The Hall of Fame quarterback is accused of accepting money intended for the poorest citizens of America’s poorest state, and using the money to fund a volleyball facility at his alma mater: the University of Southern Mississippi. But Favre’s role in that case only became known to investigators when they began looking into something else entirely: a little-known drug company in Florida that was promising to give the entire football world the miracle it needed around concussion science. Mark Fainaru-Wada investigates the real story behind Prevacus and its gunslinging investor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the news broke that Daniel Snyder enlisted Bank of America to help him explore a potential sale of the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, the reaction was shock…and, in some corners, celebration. Snyder has been embattled for years in controversies with fellow owners, accusations of a toxic workplace environment, and calls to change the name of the team…the latter of which came to fruition in 2020 after years of Snyder refusing to do so. Don Van Natta tells us how Snyder seems to have run out of options once again…and how the US Department of Justice may have been the final tipping point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a few short weeks, one of the most controversial sporting decisions in recent memory will become a reality – Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup. Almost everything from the selection process itself, to the claims of human rights abuses, to the promises made by Qatar’s government to improve conditions for migrant workers, has been thrust into the spotlight on the world’s biggest stage. Since it was awarded the world cup in 2010, more than 6,500 workers have reportedly died in Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world and one that has spent $220 billion to build stadiums and infrastructure. Jeremy Schaap traveled to Qatar’s capital city of Doha, where he visited the new stadiums, and spoke with workers and government officials…and he tells us what could be the true legacy of Qatar’s World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we last talked to Nick Friedell two weeks ago, the Brooklyn Nets’ vibes have gone from great to bad…to worse. Last Thursday, Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to a film littered with antisemitic tropes and later refused to answer questions about it. In addition, the Nets have lost 5 of their last 6 games and are in last place in the Atlantic Division. On Tuesday, head coach Steve Nash and the team parted ways, and now the Nets are reportedly looking to hire Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who just six weeks ago was suspended by Boston for the entire season for engaging in an inappropriate workplace relationship. So Nick fills us in on everything that’s happened in the last week, why things in Brooklyn seem so bleak, and where the team goes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Name Image and Likeness revolution arrived, we all assumed the biggest winners would be the obvious: The star quarterbacks, the All-Americans, the prospects already on their way to the pros. But in the social media economy, it turns out, what you’re really monetizing is your audience. So today, we tell the story of the NIL pioneer Cavinder Twins, Hanna and Haley, two college basketball players writing the rules on this new economy as they go… as they head to the University of Miami and bring their millions of followers with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There may be no other team that embodies the chaotic nature of college football more than Tennessee. The Volunteers have seemingly cycled through various head coaches since ousting the architect of their 90’s glory years, Phillip Fulmer, in 2008…and have done so with very little success. Lane Kiffin infamously left the program in flames after one year at the helm. Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and Jeremy Pruitt spent the rest of the decade in a revolving door of coaches, each one being no less mediocre than the last. But finally, it looks like the right guy is in charge at Rocky Top. Josh Heupel has the Vols sitting at No. 2 in the nation after knocking off Alabama, and they have a meeting with No. 1 ranked Georgia this weekend. So ahead of that clash of top teams, and as this year’s first College Football Playoff rankings are released, we sit down with Ryan McGee…and he tells us how his beloved Tennessee is finally revitalized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bengals QB Joe Burrow is one of the most exciting young players in the NFL: from his talent on the field to his gameday outfits to how he talks about football, Burrow’s development is considered to be ahead of schedule. In just his second season, Burrow led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl, and the Bengals have high hopes for this year and beyond. Alex Smith sat down with Burrow ahead of Monday Night Football and tells us what makes his football mind so incisive, and reflects on what they have in common. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America was first introduced to Bryce Harper when he was just 16 years old, thanks to a Sports Illustrated cover story that proclaimed the teen as “Baseball’s Chosen One.” The article, written by SI’s Tom Verducci, chronicled Harper’s seemingly mythical feats: Hitting a 570-foot home run as a high school freshman. Crushing a homer off the back wall of Tropicana Stadium. Boldly stating he wanted to be the greatest player of all-time. It created a hype around the teenager that seemed impossible to live up to. And yet, Harper has done just that. And now the two-time MVP is about to step up to the plate for his first World Series appearance, after propelling the Philadelphia Phillies through the NLCS with a game-winning homer this past Sunday. Tom Verducci was there at Citizen’s Bank Park to witness Harper’s heroics in the NLCS, 13 years after he first covered him as a 16-year-old high school phenom. He tells us what it's been like to chronicle “Baseball’s Chosen One” since the very start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s your passion? That one thing that gets you out of bed in the morning? For John Urschel, it’s two things: football and math. Urschel followed the football path first, playing in college at Penn State and eventually for the Baltimore Ravens. But during his time in the NFL, he realized how much he missed math…and decided to go back for his PhD at MIT…while he was still competing on the field. Urschel joins the show to tell us about his unique life in football, and how mathematics are key to understanding the sport that’s been transformed by analytics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The way NBA prospects get to the league looks nothing like it used to. We’ve been importing future MVPs from overseas for years now: that’s the story of Victor Wembanyama, next year’s projected No. 1 pick. And we’ve watched the G League become the NBA’s own minor league system. That’s the story of Scoot Henderson, projected to go No. 2. But the story of Amen and Ausar Thompson — who could maybe round out the top five in next year’s draft — is something very different. Israel Gutierrez explains the rise of Overtime Elite: a viral video account that’s become a league unto itself, where the Thompson twins have taken up residence, and where they’re getting everyone to click. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It had been 533 days since we last saw Zion Williamson compete in a real live NBA game until this season. The 22-year-old phenom has dealt with a foot injury that kept him out all of last season, and struggled with the perception he was out of shape. But this season (despite a fall on Sunday that left him with a bruised rear end) Zion has looked every bit the sensation he was predicted to be coming out of Duke. It’s a turnaround he credits, in part, to the music of the Notorious B.I.G. We called up ESPN reporter Andrew Lopez to explain how Zion turned things around, whether this latest injury is anything to worry about, and what we might see from him the rest of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tua Tagovailoa is back: but does he need to learn how to slide? And is he the same QB he was before his frightening concussion three weeks ago against the Bengals? Elsewhere in the NFL’s Week 7, we got the Alex Smith Bowl, as the Kansas City Chiefs jet swept all over the San Francisco 49ers. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady continued to struggle this season as both their teams have now started 3-4 for the first time since Rodgers took over as the starter in Green Bay…way back in 2008. Are these two GOAT’s finally washed? Or can they still turn their seasons around? We called up Alex Smith for answers, in yet another installment of QB Confidential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1980s NFL, barefoot kickers were a fleeting and rare phenomenon, with little to no evidence to back up any claims of a strategic advantage. The last known barefoot kick in the league was recorded in 2002, and executed by St. Louis Rams kicker Jeff Wilkins…or so we thought. Sam Borden kicks off an investigation into a football mystery… and embarks on a quest for truth…and justice…and a heel turn for the ages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Houston, everyone knows the name “Mattress Mack.” He’s a furniture store owner whose charitable efforts during Hurricane Harvey and in other times need have made him famous among Houstonians. But “Mattress Mack,” whose real name is Jim McIngvale, has become famous nationally for another reason: he consistently places some of the largest sports bets in history. But make no mistake, Mack is not your ordinary high roller…it’s all part of a strategy designed to sell furniture, while at the same time giving the local community something to cheer for. And now, if his beloved hometown Houston Astros manage to win the World Series, Mack stands to win more than 70 million dollars, the largest sports bet payout in history. And if the Astros lose? Well, as Dave Fleming explains there’s more to the bet and Mattress Mack than meets the eye - and even if the Astros lose, McIngvale still wins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brooklyn Nets were the talk of the NBA offseason, and as their season tips off tonight, it seems like the dust has settled…for now. But what’s Kevin Durant’s future just months after he requested to be traded away? Can Kyrie Irving change the narrative around him this season? And what will Ben Simmons look like after more than a year away from the game? Nick Friedell shares his conversations with Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons with us, and he takes us for a ride through the Nets’ offseason drama as they take the court for a new season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may have heard that the NBA has just gone through the most dramatic offseason in memory. The league also has more star talent right now, top to bottom, than it has in years. And anyone who’s telling you that they know who’s going to win it all is a liar. So, today, as the season tips off tonight, we consult the very particular brain of Zach Lowe, who studies these games more deeply than anyone else in the business. And he makes us smarter about the drama on the court itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Kansas City, Josh Allen hurdled to victory (literally) and led the Buffalo Bills on a game-winning drive over the Chiefs, in a rematch of last year’s explosive AFC Divisional Round matchup. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles preserved the only undefeated record in the NFL, beating the Cowboys 26-17. Across the NFC East, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale helped beat his former team, the Ravens, thanks in large part to a Lamar Jackson interception and a strip sack in the last three minutes. And in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers was upset by the surging New York Jets, who’ve won their last three games (yes, you read that correctly). So we called up our Monday morning QB Alex Smith for this week’s installment of QB Confidential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you watch football, you’ve probably heard the word “analytics” so many times, it’s lost all meaning. But what if we told you there’s a better way to understand football analytics…by instead using the word “evidence?” Our resident football professor Bill Barnwell is here with a lesson in making sense of analytics, what it means when coaches use information to make decisions on the field, and what people get wrong when they criticize teams using analytics. We also look ahead to this weekend’s juiciest games, including a rematch between the Bills and Chiefs and an NFC East showdown between the Eagles and Cowboys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFL ownership is one of the most exclusive, fiercely protected clubs imaginable. There is no American sport as profitable or as visible as the NFL, and there are only 32 teams — 32 pieces of the most valuable real estate in American culture… each of them worth billions of dollars. Which means that entering this club requires another powerful person to want to leave. Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder, you may have noticed, does not want to go anywhere. But, today, ESPN’s Don Van Natta breaks news about how the most controversial owner in football has been fighting, in secret, to keep his Washington Commanders. And he brings us deep inside the viciously guarded club that may finally want him out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet the NBA Draft prospect that is the reason for a “race to the bottom like we’ve never seen,” as one NBA GM told Adrian Wojnarowski. Victor Wembanyama is a 7’4 18-year old from France, currently playing for Metropolitans 92…and did we mention that he’s 7’4? Forget about a unicorn, this guy is an alien, something we have never seen before. There is so much hype around Wembanyama, that some have said that if he was in the same class as LeBron James, LeBron would be the second pick. ESPN Draft analyst Jonathan Givony isn’t one for gushing and hyperbole when it comes to prospects, but even he is all-in on Wembanyama…and he tells us why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pucks drop tonight around the National Hockey League as the regular season begins, but what's changed since the Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup back in June? Can Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers challenge Nathan McKinnon and the defending champs? In the Eastern Conference, do Sidney Crosby and his aging crew of Penguins have what it takes to make one more run? And what should we make of Buoy, the Seattle Kraken’s new mascot? Our resident NHL expert Greg Wyshynski brings us up to speed on everything in the hockey world and tells us who we should be rooting for as hockey season starts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you had to sum up the NFL’s Week 5 in one word, it would have to be bizarre. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held off the Atlanta Falcons, thanks in part to a bewildering roughing the passer call against the Falcons on a crucial third down in the fourth quarter. The Chargers survived the Browns, even after head coach Brandon Staley decided to go for it on a fourth down at midfield late in the game – with a two-point lead – and left many people, even Chargers receiver Keenan Allen, scratching his head. Matthew Stafford was sacked for the 21st time this season as the Rams still couldn’t get on the right track. So we called up our Monday morning QB, Alex Smith, and he gives us his insight on what it’s like to be in the shoes of Stafford and Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MLB’s Wild Card weekend begins today, with a new format that seems primed to produce maximum chaos: eight teams facing off over the next three days for the right to advance to the Divisional round. And while we may still have questions about how this is all going to work, Jeff Passan helps us make sense of everything, and why the biggest winners might be the underdogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re just under a quarter of the way through the NFL season, and so many teams are still facing questions about their quarterback situations. In Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin benched veteran Mitchell Trubisky halfway through the Steelers’ Week 4 matchup for rookie Kenny Pickett, in search of a “spark” on offense. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who previously publicly welcomed the idea of a QB controversy, might now actually have one as the Cowboys are 3-1 with backup Cooper Rush in place of the injured Dak Prescott. So we called up Bill Barnwell to survey the quarterback landscape…and make us smarter heading into Week 5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a match in September, chess grandmaster and world champion Magnus Carlsen made his opening move, and then promptly resigned from play and walked off. This moment sent the chess community into a frenzy, as later it was revealed Carlsen had resigned in protest, accusing his opponent, Hans Niemann, of cheating. But was there evidence to back up Carlsen’s claims…and just how prevalent is cheating in pro chess? Brin-Jonathan Butler brings us inside the controversy that is consuming elite professional chess, a world which is also the focus of his book "Grandmaster: Magnus Carlsen and the Match that Made Chess Great Again." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly a year ago, the National Women’s Soccer League faced a crisis. Explosive allegations from players of abuse, sexual harassment, and unrelenting coercion by one of the NWSL’s most successful head coaches set off a reckoning across the entire league. The commissioner resigned. Games were canceled. Players had no collective bargaining agreement and the specter of a canceled season loomed, all while governing bodies opened investigations into misconduct and toxic work environments. And on Monday, a long-awaited report investigating the failures of the NWSL was released by former acting attorney general Sally Yates, which detailed systemic abuse within the league, and specifically “a culture of abuse, silence, and fear of retaliation” that perpetuated the misconduct. Jennifer Karson-Strauss directed the new E60 film, “Truth Be Told: The Fight for Women’s Professional Soccer,” and joins the show to discuss the film’s investigation into allegations of abuse, sexual coercion and a toxic work environment in the league, as well as the lack of action taken by NWSL leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Week 4 in the NFL saw the Bills storm back (in a literal storm) from down 20-3 to the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers held off rookie Bailey Zappe and the Patriots in overtime, and Patrick Mahomes casually threw 3 TDs against Tom Brady and the Bucs. But undeniably, the biggest story of NFL Week 4 actually took place on Thursday night, when the Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa suffered a frightening head injury against the Bengals. The injury came just four days after Tua suffered what appeared to be another serious head injury in Week 3, but nonetheless was cleared by an independent neurologist to return to the game. We called up Alex Smith, who’s been through concussion protocol multiple times himself, to have an in-depth and honest conversation about how players view the NFL’s concussion protocol…and what needs to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of Betsy Sailor and Irv Pankey is unlike any you’ve heard before. It’s a story that, for years, was shrouded in darkness, tied inextricably to the unspeakable crimes of a former Penn State football player named Todd Hodne. ESPN’s Tom Junod and Paula Lavigne first brought Hodne’s horrific crimes to light this spring in their meticulously reported feature “Untold.” But in the midst of their reporting, they stumbled onto another, completely opposite story. A story of compassion, friendship, and ultimately, 40 years later…love.

You can watch the short film "Betsy & Irv" on ESPN+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you find all the headlines about Brett Favre and the unfolding welfare fraud scandal in Mississippi kind of dizzying, that is completely understandable. Even over the past week, the names, allegations, and revelations haven’t stopped. And all of it raises valid questions about possible criminal charges — not only for Brett Favre, but also the state’s former Governor: Phil Bryant. So we talked to the government investigator who helped uncover the largest fraud scandal in Mississippi history, state auditor Shad White. And we try to understand what’s been happening behind the scenes as one of the most famous retired athletes in this country is accused of defrauding the poorest people in America’s most impoverished state…and where this case goes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The aftermath of the Robert Sarver investigation has been anything but what the NBA had hoped. Sarver, the subject of a massive investigation by ESPN and later the NBA, was suspended one year for racist and misogynistic behavior. Fans and players felt it wasn’t enough, and had been calling for the Phoenix Suns’ owner’s banishment from the league. The WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, who Sarver also owns, came forward and said they were excluded from the investigation altogether. One week later, Sarver has put both teams up for sale. Baxter Holmes, the ESPN reporter who kicked off this entire saga, explains why Sarver suddenly changed his mind about selling, what this means for the NBA…and how this story is far from over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Judge is having one of the greatest offensive seasons in baseball history. He’s on his way to setting the American League record for home runs in a season, and is on pace to claim the Triple Crown, something that has only been done once since 1967. In anything resembling normalcy, Judge would be a shoe-in for American League MVP. And yet, Shohei Ohtani exists. The Angels’ pitcher/designated hitter/unicorn is once again doing something that no player has ever done…playing all-star caliber baseball as a pitcher and a hitter. Jeff Passan, a man who is not afraid to make tough decisions, settles the debate once and for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you punt the ball off the butt of your own personal protector and still win the game, you know it’s a strange week around the NFL. The Dolphins upset the Super Bowl favorite Bills, despite a tuchus-deflected punting mishap that rivaled the “Butt Fumble” in ridiculousness. The Chiefs stumbled against a Colts team that had looked hapless in their first two games. The Raiders dropped to 0-3, making them the only winless team in the league despite splashy off-season moves. And the Eagles proved why they are perhaps the class of the NFC by staying undefeated with a dominating win over the Commanders. Our resident football brainiac Bill Barnwell joins us to break down an NFL Week 3 that seemed to defy any logical explanation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s in a name? When it comes to the University of South Carolina’s live rooster mascot Sir Big Spur, the answer is a whole lot of ruffled feathers. Over the course of four fowl weeks, the Gamecocks’ mascot went from Sir Big Spur, to the Cock Commander (kind of) to The General, to Sir Big Spur again. So with something of an identity crisis hatching in Columbia, we called up Ryan McGee to stick his beak in this story and give us the strange-but-true history of the Gamecocks’ mascot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Roger Federer announcing his retirement following this weekend’s Laver Cup in London, most sports fans thoughts will immediately go to his 20 Grand Slam Titles (3rd most all-time) and his storied rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But for writer David Epstein, Federer represents something much bigger–a model for how to develop athletes, raise our kids, and discover our individual talents. Rather than specializing in one sport early on, like Tiger Woods did with golf, Federer played many different sports as a child, and didn’t focus on tennis seriously until later. Epstein explains why this model of development works, why it might be more effective than the often-cited 10,000 hours model…and why it made Roger Federer into the dominant athlete he is today. You can find more of David Epstein’s work through his free Range Widely newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brett Favre is a legendary figure in his home state of Mississippi for his Hall of Fame NFL career. But now, Favre is making headlines in Mississippi (and across the country) for very different reasons. Favre, and others, are accused of diverting millions of dollars in welfare funds to go toward the construction of a volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi. The same school where Favre’s daughter played volleyball and where Favre himself is an alum. It is all part of a sprawling investigation into fraud and misuse of money that is meant to assist Mississippi’s neediest citizens, the state with the highest poverty rate in the nation. Anna Wolfe, a reporter from Mississippi Today who’s been investigating the case from the very beginning, joins us to unpack a story that is about much more than just a famous football player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, after the NBA announced a one year-suspension of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, many NBA players and stakeholders spoke out: saying the punishment wasn’t strong enough. Sarver was accused of racist, sexist, and misogynist behavior by scores of employees, chronicled by ESPN in an investigation from fall 2021. It’s a situation that in some ways mirrors that of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned for life from the NBA when audio tapes revealed he had made racist statements. But thus far, the NBA has maintained that Sarver’s behavior does not warrant the same punishment as Sterling’s. So today, Brian Windhorst explains why the NBA ruled as it did with Sarver, whether the backlash from the players will amount to anything, and what the whole affair says about the balance of power in the NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Week 2 in the NFL saw not one, but TWO 20-point comebacks. The Las Vegas Raiders somehow blew a 20-0 halftime lead to fall to Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals in overtime, while the Miami Dolphins overcame a signature Lamar Jackson performance thanks to Tua Tagovailoa’s 400 passing yards and six touchdowns. The 49ers lost Trey Lance for the season, extending the Jimmy G era in San Francisco for another year. We called up Alex Smith, our Monday morning QB, to help us make sense of everything that happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

50 years ago this month marks one of the darkest moments in sports history – the Munich Massacre, when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 members of the Israeli delegation at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Shaul Ladany, now 86, was one of the Israeli athlete’s who survived the massacre, just as he had survived World War II and the Holocaust when he was a child. Ladany’s life is explored in the new E60 documentary, “The Survivor.” Jeremy Schaap traveled to Israel and Germany to profile a man of unmatched endurance and perseverance, someone who still competes to this day after surviving the worst horrors of the 20th century. “The Survivor” will debut on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and will be available on ESPN+ following the premiere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL’s Week 2 kicks off tonight with a thrilling AFC West showdown between the Chiefs and Chargers. So what did we learn about Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in their Week 1 games? Bill Barnwell returns to make us smarter about football, previewing tonight’s game and what the Chargers need to do to contain Mahomes…and the Chiefs’ tasting menu of solutions for curtailing Herbert. Elsewhere, Bill tells us why we shouldn’t be too high on the Steelers after their Week 1 win, what’s up with Dak and the Cowboys, and how we should think about Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett after some poor decision making to end Monday night’s game in Seattle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, European players were something of an afterthought in the NBA. They were (often unfairly) labeled as soft, not tough enough and frankly not good enough to hang with their American counterparts. But those days are long gone. Two European players, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have combined to win the last four NBA MVP awards, and Slovenian Luka Doncic is maybe the NBA’s best player under 25. All of which makes EuroBasket 2022 arguably the most competitive basketball tournament in the world after the NBA Playoffs. EuroBasket, which is now played every four years, features the top national teams from across Europe, in an atmosphere that is akin to a mix of March Madness and Soccer’s World Cup. Former Vice President for Strategic Research with the San Antonio Spurs, Kirk Goldsberry was reporting on the ground from EuroBasket, and explains why understanding Europe is essential to understanding the modern NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been an all-time WNBA playoffs, full of historic performances and dramatic upsets…as well as one reluctant farewell. So, today, ahead of Game 2 of the Finals, with the Connecticut Sun trying to even the series in Vegas against the Aces, we bring you someone who knows this league better than anyone else. Someone who dominated it over 21 years, and 13 All-Star Games, and 4 titles, and more assists *and more wins than anyone else in the history of her sport: Sue Bird, who also tells us what it’s really like to say goodbye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL’s first Sunday of 2022 kicked off in chaotic fashion…and we mean literally. The Dallas Cowboys were embarrassed on their home field by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, losing QB Dak Prescott to a hand injury in the process. Chargers QB Justin Herbert showed off his superpowers against the Raiders, while Aaron Rodgers and his new receivers worked through some chemistry issues. The Bengals and Steelers went to overtime and saw a missed extra point and two missed field goals…while Trey Lance’s first start for the 49ers was a wash in Chicago. Our Monday morning QB Alex Smith returns to make you smarter about the NFL’s opening Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t look or sound like other NFL head coaches. He’s young, self-deprecating, and his press conference sound bites are plastered all over social media. But just a year ago, few NFL fans knew who he was at all. So we called up our Dolphins beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, to understand how McDaniel made the jump from boy-genius offensive coordinator with San Francisco…and whether his unconventional style can work now that he is the man in charge in Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of our two-part mega NFL preview, Bill Barnwell joins us to take a look at what’s going on in the NFC. As the Los Angeles Rams prepare to defend their Super Bowl title in year two of the Matthew Stafford era, the San Francisco 49ers are all-in on Trey Lance as QB1…or are they? Tom Brady retired, then just as quickly un-retired to come back for his 21st season in the NFL, but will he still be the Tom Brady we all know and hate at age 45? Will Aaron Rodgers keep up the psychedelic highs on the field that led to his MVP season a year ago, or will the Packers come down after losing Davante Adams and ZaDarius Smith? And then there’s the NFC East…which may just be the worst division in football. And of course, we couldn’t let Bill leave without getting a way-too-early Super Bowl LVII prediction out of him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our NFL regular season preview with our old friend Bill Barnwell is so big that we couldn’t even fit everything into one episode. So in today’s edition, we talk all things AFC. In the East, there’s Josh Allen and the Bills trying to finally get over the hump, the Dolphins are finally going all-in on the Tua Tagovailoa experiment, there’s whatever the hell is going on with the offense in New England, and the Jets are also a football team. In the group of death, aka the AFC West, there should be no shortage of offensive firepower with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, and Russell Wilson at the helm. The Baltimore Ravens look to bounce back in the AFC North after injuries derailed their 2021 campaign and Lamar Jackson enters his contract year, while the Bengals try to make it back to the Super Bowl. And in the AFC South, a new regime in Jacksonville hopes to get the most out of second-year QB Trevor Lawrence…and Bill explains why he thinks the Tennessee Titans are one of the teams most likely to decline in 2022. Make sure to listen again tomorrow for Bill’s preview of the NFC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Davante Adams became arguably the best receiver in the NFL with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback, he was a star at Fresno State. But then-Bulldogs quarterback Derek Carr wasn’t just the guy throwing Adams the ball…he was one of Adams’ best friends. They’ve spent eight years apart in which Adams blossomed and Carr became the franchise quarterback for the Las Vegas (and Oakland) Raiders, but the duo is finally back together…after Carr reached out this offseason to woo Adams away from the Frozen Tundra. Tim Keown gives us the inside story of how one of the NFL’s elite playmakers ended up in the desert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The link between the musical icon Whitney Houston and sports is specific and indelible, through her iconic rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV. While her performance was breathtaking, much of what made it truly special, and the events surrounding it, have been overlooked. E:60’s Jeremy Schaap relives a classic Super Bowl memory, and why Whitney’s high notes from that night continue to echo a decade after her passing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albert Pujols was the most dangerous hitter in baseball for more than a decade, putting up monumental statistics with such precision he earned the nickname, “The Machine.” But after signing a massive free agent deal with the Angels, injuries and age caught up with him. Today, Pujols is back in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform and just might be looking like his old self again. With 700 home runs in sight as his career comes winding down, Alden Gonzalez joins the show to help us understand the man and the machine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no white tablecloth at the restaurant of college football. Things are going to get messy. From the College Football Playoff contenders, to the happenings at Tony Stark’s house, there is a lot to consume here. So ahead of Week 1 of the season, Ryan McGee prepares a multi-course menu and tells us why you might as well unbuckle your Sunbelt right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before he went virtually unrecruited, before he slid to the 13th pick in the loaded 2014 draft, Aaron Donald was already a Hall of Famer to those who knew him best – but only to them, apparently. Ryan Hockensmith joins the show to share Donald’s origin story from kindergarten, through his high school days, all the way to last year’s Super Bowl victory…a win that could seal Donald’s reputation not just as the greatest defensive player of his generation, but the greatest defensive player of all-time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelsey Plum was one of the most dominant college basketball players we have ever seen, a top draft pick, and a would-be franchise savior for the team that picked her, the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces). But the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer struggled with her transition to the pros, and it turned out her team didn’t need saving…she did. Now in her fifth season in the WNBA, Plum is finally playing to her potential and helped lead the Aces to the #1 overall seed in the playoffs. Katie Barnes tells us the story of how, after years of searching, Kelsey Plum has found herself, both on and off the court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coco Gauff has been on the verge of greatness ever since she picked up a tennis racket at 6 years old. It was then that her father Corey shamelessly stole the Richard Williams playbook and developed a 10 year plan for his talented daughter. But now, after years of ups and downs, both professionally and mentally, Coco Gauff arrives at the 2022 U.S. Open in New York City as an 18-year-old woman full of expectations and aspirations. All of which she gladly accepts – on her own terms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Thicc Six.” It’s a phrase that exploded across Twitter last season in the NFL, usually when a quarterback throws a touchdown to an open…and eligible…offensive lineman. But, why are we seeing so many Big Man touchdowns all of sudden? And what makes them so awesome? Mike Golic Jr. takes us into the trenches and into the psychology of the NFL’s largest men, and explains why their moment in the spotlight brings so much joy to so many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re talking about practice…no, really. It’s been 20 years since Allen Iverson’s infamous rant, the one you’ve seen clips of pretty much everywhere, where Iverson goes off in response to a question about his practice habits. That roughly one-minute sound bite has come to be one of the most lasting moments of Iverson’s career…but it was the rest of that press conference that truly offers a window into Iverson’s life and career. It was the culmination of frustrating ends to two consecutive seasons, grief over the murder of his best friend…and the microscope he had been under since he was 17 years old. Justin Tinsley joins us to reflect on Iverson’s press conference, the fallout from it, and what everyone got wrong in the two decades since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been over two years since a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, three members of the Altobelli family and four others. Alyssa Altobelli was a teammate of Gianna’s, and she was accompanied by her parents John and Keri. As it turns out, John was a legendary figure in his own right as the head baseball coach of Orange Coast College, a junior college in Orange County. In his 27 years at the helm of the program, John won over 700 games and four state championships. ESPN’s Chris Connelly explains the mutual respect John and Kobe had for each other, and just how big of an impact John had on his team…and in his community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the NFL preseason rolls along, we’re getting a look at several of this year’s rookies, both hyped and unsung, franchise saviors and camp invites fighting for a roster spot. But when it comes to evaluating these prospects, there is one BIG feature that NFL scouts have been obsessed with. Yes, NFL scouts love big butts, and they cannot lie. But there’s a lot more to it than scouts simply gossiping about gluteals. There’s plenty of science behind why rear ends matter for athletic performance. And ESPN’s Dave Fleming joins us to share the data that can back it up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of two seasons in the NFL, a story has been brewing around Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For a while, the beats of the story were pretty familiar––promising young quarterback comes into the league, has his ups and downs, and leaves so many wondering if he’ll ever be the star they dreamed he could be. But last season, that story took a turn unlike any we’ve ever seen. That’s because a subset of fans decided to take control of the narrative themselves and, via Twitter, launch “TuAnon,” a conspiracy theory fixated on an alleged plot inside the Dolphins and throughout sports media to undermine Tua at every turn. So ESPN’s Dolphins beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques set out to find the mystery superfan at the center of the entire thing. And what he got was not just an interview, but a journey down a rabbit hole that gets deeper each day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramla Ali doesn’t know when her birthday is. Born in Somalia, she and her family became refugees after fleeing during the country’s civil war in the early 1990s, leaving all important documents behind. Ali grew up in London where she developed a love for boxing - and she got really, really good at it. Eventually, Ali became the first Somalian woman to box at the Olympics…and outside of the ring, Ali became a model and humanitarian, founding a women’s boxing club that exploded in popularity around London. This Saturday, Ali is attempting to make history, where she’d be one of the first women to box professionally in Saudi Arabia. Michael Rothstein shares how Ramla Ali got here, and how she’s already made history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College athletes being able to strike deals profiting off of their name, image and likeness promised to change college sports, for better or for worse. Since the rules were altered more than a year ago, names are starting to emerge as players in the field. One of those names belongs to John Ruiz…a Miami area business man who is striking some pretty hefty deals with student athletes at his beloved alma mater, the University of Miami: the kinds of deals that have some wondering if a line is being crossed. John Barr joins the show to tell us who Ruiz is, and why he believes that he can profit off his love of the U, without breaking any rules in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The WNBA playoffs tip off tonight, after a season dominated by stories about Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia. On the court, legends such as Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird are retiring and stars like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are lighting up the next generation. Could this finally be the year for the Connecticut Sun? Or will the Chicago Sky become repeat champions? LaChina Robinson joins the show to explain the changes to the WNBA’s playoff format, and tells us what we should be watching this postseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Question: who’s calling offensive plays for the New England Patriots this season? Head Coach Bill Belichick has dodged the question thus far, saying that the team is “going through a process.” And while assistant coaches Matt Patricia and Joe Judge split playcalling duties in the Patriots’ first preseason game…the answer may lead right back to the man who’s always been considered a defensive mastermind: Bill Belichick himself. Seth Wickersham explains what’s going on in Foxborough, and whether Bill Belichick is secretly a master of the other side of the ball as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no bigger job in America than NFL quarterback. No position is so disproportionately influential on the field or visible off of it, and no job is so culturally ingrained in our national imagination. A quarterback is a star athlete, a team spokesman, a locker room leader and a prom king: a main character, in other words. But the NFL spent literal decades refusing to cast Black players in that role. As we see QBs like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson prepare for the upcoming season, we ask Jason Reid to examine the unique, oft-forgotten history of the Black quarterback, and how it explains some ongoing conversations that the NFL still cannot escape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of the attention in the WNBA this season has gone to the farewell tour of Sue Bird, but she’s not the only legend retiring this year. Sylvia Fowles is hanging up her sneakers after 15 seasons, 8 all-star appearances, an MVP award, and countless other accolades. Fowles may be the best pure center to ever play in the WNBA, but her excellence hasn’t drawn the same spotlight as some of the league’s other top stars. Kevin Van Valkenberg explains why “Mama Syl” is one of the most beloved figures in the WNBA, and the surprising plans she has for her post-basketball life…becoming a mortician. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word “GOAT” gets thrown around a lot, but when it comes to Serena Williams, it’s not hyperbole. From her first major in 1999 at the age of 17, to her record-breaking 23rd major in 2017 (the most in the Open Era), Serena has been synonymous with dominance. On Tuesday, Serena announced her “evolution” away from tennis in a Vogue article and plans to step away at the conclusion of this year’s US Open. ESPN Senior Writer and tennis encyclopedia Howard Bryant looks back on Serena’s legendary career one more time…before it comes to a close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 37 years, Roger Maris’ single-season home run record of 61 stood alone as possibly the greatest single-season achievement in baseball. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa broke the record in 1998, and so did Barry Bonds three years later. But those achievements came at the height of the steroid era, and in the more than two decades since, no player has topped Maris’ mark. But this season, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge is on pace to comfortably surpass Maris. Jeff Passan joins us to explain what Judge topping Maris would mean for Major League Baseball, and whether fans might come to regard Judge as the true single-season home run king. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many, becoming an NFL head coach is the career pinnacle… and then it completely takes over your life. The hours, the pressure, the volatility, the responsibility for the jobs and families riding on the team's success. It can be overwhelming. Even if you are the boy genius. Seth Wickersham explains how Rams Coach Sean McVay, the youngest coach ever to win a super bowl, is now facing questions no 36-year-old has confronted before. What do you do after you’ve reached the summit at such a young age? Is it possible to have a life outside of football? Or are the demands of the job – the obsessiveness, the anxiety, the adherence to a round-the-clock schedule where you’re never fully unplugged – necessary prerequisites for NFL head coaching success? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When former federal Judge Sue L. Robinson handed Deshaun Watson a six-game suspension last week, the reaction from many was clear: it wasn’t enough. Robinson’s ruling acknowledged Watson’s “egregious” behavior, which had been chronicled in dozens of accounts of sexual misconduct, but said she was bound by precedent of punishment in previous NFL cases. Now, the league is appealing Watson’s suspension – hoping for a stronger punishment while setting a new precedent for how the National Football League handles cases like these going forward. ESPN’s Cleveland Browns reporter Jake Trotter tells us what the NFL’s appeal means for Watson’s future, whether he might take the league to court, and what it all says about how the NFL administers player discipline going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Losing night after night isn’t easy for any athlete, but veteran UFC fighter Sam Alvey’s winless streak is something to behold. Alvey, whose nickname is “Smile’n,” hasn’t won a fight since 2018. After going 0-7-1 in his last 8 fights, if Alvey loses tomorrow night against Michal Oleksiejczuk, he’ll own the longest winless streak in UFC history. So why is Alvey still smiling? That’s the question Ryan Hockensmith wanted to answer when he traveled to Alvey’s farm in Tennessee where he lives with his wife, a former America’s Next Top Model winner, six kids under the age of 10, and a menagerie of animals. What emerges is a portrait of a fighter whose life philosophy flies in the face of every cliche we’ve come to expect from an athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lucrative world of sports collectibles has gone from 0 to 100 in the past two years. And just this summer, the chase for a rare LeBron James Triple Logoman Card that ended up selling for $2.4 million saw nonstop hype as bids included multiple bounties, an offer of a Lamborghini for the person who discovered the card… and even rap megastar Drake is goin’ in on the hunt, intriguing both experienced collectors and novices who are starting from the bottom. So today, ESPN collectibles expert Dan Hajducky takes care to bring us a massive story about sports cards as investments, and one dance between card collectors that has seemed to last forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another NFL punishment has been doled out just a day after QB Deshaun Watson’s suspension: the Miami Dolphins were stripped of two draft picks, their owner Stephen Ross was suspended until October, and fined $1.5 million. The discipline came as a result of the league investigators finding tampering violations of “unprecedented scope and severity.” The allegations first surfaced from former head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and the Dolphins, which suggested the team tampered with an unnamed QB, later revealed to be Tom Brady. The league also found that Dolphins improperly contacted former Saints head coach Sean Payton about joining the team. Jeff Darlington explains the origins of the investigation, what it means for the Dolphins, and what happens next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the history of sports punishment, there is no case quite like the one of Deshaun Watson. The Browns had acquired the star quarterback from the Texans back in March, amid dozens of civil lawsuits, filed by dozens of women who accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. And even though Watson wouldn’t face criminal charges, the question was never if Watson would be suspended by the league this season: it was for how long. ESPN’s Cleveland Browns reporter Jake Trotter explains how a quarterback’s “predatory conduct” only warranted a six-game suspension, potentially returning him to America’s televisions by October 23rd. And what the NFL might do next, as a result. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generation Jalen is officially upon us. At the NBA Draft in June, three different Jalens were selected. Four more were picked in the NFL Draft in April. And then there’s Jalen Brunson, who just signed a $100M contract with the Knicks. Jalen Hurts, who’s at camp right now, is the starting quarterback for the Eagles. Jalen Ramsey, who just won a Super Bowl with the Rams. And Jaylen Brown, who is in the middle of trade rumors for Kevin Durant. So, what caused this name to spread across not just sports, but all of society? For years our colleague, friend and basketball veteran Jalen Rose has maintained that today’s Jalens are named for him (whether they know it or not). We honor Jalen Rose’s mother, Jeanne Rose, exploring the history and mystery of his name in sports and beyond. With data, experts, and extensive interviews, the Jalen question is finally resolved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No organization in sports takes their history more seriously than the New York Yankees. And it’s no wonder why. They’ve won 27 championships. Legendary names like Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Rivera, all are enshrined in their Monument Park in Yankee Stadium. But there’s one Yankees legend the organization hopes to forget: Dandy, their short-lived, and almost entirely forgotten, mascot. Jeremy Schaap tells Dandy’s story, whose brief existence has been all but scrubbed from pinstripe history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a story so crazy it seems destined for a Hollywood treatment. Several weeks ago, reports of a mysterious fake cricket league run out of a rural town in India captured worldwide attention. The fake league reportedly broadcast their matches on the internet, and purported to be legitimate matches from the Indian Premier League, the most lucrative cricket league in the world. To anyone with a passing familiarity with the game, it should have been obvious that something wasn’t right – because the actual IPL had concluded their season weeks earlier. But the target of the scam, according to police, were online bettors from countries like Russia, without a strong cricket tradition. Jarrod Kimber has been covering the sport for 15 years, and he explains how and why this scam happened…and why those who know cricket know this kind of thing is par for the course.

You can find more of Jarrod Kimber’s cricket coverage on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The LIV Golf Tour makes its latest stop this week at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, bringing all the drama that this Saudi Arabian-funded venture has fostered since its inception. However, this week’s tournament not only adds the controversial brand of our former President, but it’s all being held at the doorstep of New York City’s hallowed Ground Zero, inciting even larger protests from families of 9/11 victims. Alan Shipnuck, the reporter who has followed this league from the start, tells us what all this means for the present and future of golf. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 23 years old, Juan Soto is the type of generational talent that hasn’t been available this early in his career since maybe Babe Ruth. But the Washington Nationals are seeking to do just that after Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension a few weeks ago. Several teams are interested, but only a few can even afford to give up players and prospects necessary to make it all work, let alone give him the contract he wants. So with a week to go until the MLB’s trade deadline, Jeff Passan tells us which teams are all-in on the Soto sweepstakes…and how his contract negotiations even got to this point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFL training camps are open and the storm clouds of drama are swirling. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have yet to work out a deal to extend his contract, making him the last big name left with his future up in the air, after Kyler Murray agreed to a massive extension with the Cardinals just last week. All eyes are on the quarterback competition in Carolina, between Baker Mayfield, who’s gearing up for a revenge tour, and Sam Darnold, who started for the Panthers last season. Mina Kimes takes us through all the QB shakeups and shares her complicated feelings on Seattle’s QB battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock, and addresses Russell Wilson’s move to Denver. Let’s ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many ways to describe ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian: Brilliant. Hilarious. Competitive. And above all, passionate. Passionate about the game of baseball. But as of tomorrow, there’s another way to describe Tim Kurkjian: Hall of Famer. This weekend, as baseball inducts a new class into the Hall of Fame, Kurkjian will receive the Career Excellence Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America. So today, we celebrate the life and career of our favorite baseball nerd: the story of a short, skinny kid who took a love of baseball, and not much else, and made it all the way to Cooperstown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA’s offseason started off in an absolute frenzy, with Rudy Gobert being shipped from Utah to Minnesota and several other superstars such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell have been brought up in perpetual trade rumors. And then there’s the ongoing soap opera between the Lakers and Russell Westbrook. Since then however, the market has gone quiet…almost too quiet. So we asked our NBA fortune teller (and meme legend) Brian Windhorst to tell us what’s really going on in front offices around the league, if the reports of an alliance between LeBron and Westbrook are actually true, and whether Kevin Durant has had a hidden agenda all along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people hear the name Rodman, they quickly think of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman. But there’s another Rodman making headlines: 20-year-old Trinity has exploded onto the scene of women’s soccer, quickly becoming one of the faces of the NWSL. She’s also nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete at tonight’s ESPY Awards. ESPN reporter Charlotte Gibson tells the story of how Trinity rose out of her humble beginnings to set records and take home titles, all while still in her teens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFL fans woke up on the morning of November 2, 2021 to the news that Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III had been involved in a fatal car crash that took the life of a 23-year-old woman named Tina Tintor. The news of Ruggs’ involvement rocked the NFL, and left many unanswered questions: questions not just from the family of Tina Tintor, but also how Ruggs, who lost his best friend in another fatal crash in Alabama years earlier, could allegedly be so reckless behind the wheel. Eight months later as Ruggs faces multiple felonies including driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving, ESPN’s Liz Merrill shares the details of this story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask any fan what they’d want to change about Major League Baseball and you’d hear mostly the same answers: The games take too long. The pace of play is too slow. Too many strikeouts leading to less action on the field… Enter the Savannah Bananas, a team that is thrilling fans by turning baseball into part-circus, part-professional wrestling with a dash of Harlem Globetrotters mixed in. Since arriving in the Coastal Plain League in 2016, the Savannah Bananas have sold out every night with over 4,000 fans in attendance and have a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. The team has become known for their Dancing Players, Dad Bod Cheerleading Squad, Banana Nanas Senior Citizen Dance Team, and Breakdancing First Base Coach. In 2021, The Bananas even launched a new version of baseball, Banana Ball – a new spin on the sport with a two-hour time limit where there are no walks, no bunting, and fans can catch foul balls for outs. It’s all part of a philosophy that puts fan entertainment first, and isn’t afraid to break any of baseball’s sacred traditions - and Alden Gonzalez joins us to explain how the Bananas could be changing the sport for the better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBA veteran Aron Baynes arrived at the Tokyo Olympics as one of Team Australia's most trusted big men. But during a group stage game against Italy, Baynes mysteriously fell in the bathroom during a break. When he was discovered by team staff, he had lost the ability to walk and had to be carried out on a stretcher. No one knew what was wrong. Brian Windhorst tells the story of Baynes’ medical mystery and the ordeal that followed: from being isolated in a Japanese hospital, weeping in pain day after day, to learning how to walk again...and what his path back to the NBA looks like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The college football universe is in flux. Entire schools, entire conferences and even entire rivalries have apparently entered their own version of the transfer portal. With the latest news that USC and UCLA, once the marquee universities of the Pac-12, are headed to the Big Ten, everyone else is panicking and wondering what’s next. So to help decipher all this chaos, Spencer Hall gives us a tour of the college football landscape and he shares his spiteful dream for what happens next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of Barry Bremen, a.k.a. “The Great Imposter” was already sufficiently ridiculous. Bremen was an average, suburban dad, husband, and insurance salesman who’d risen to national fame by sneaking into major sporting events. But in 2019, nearly a decade after Barry Bremen’s death, his family received a mysterious letter that changed everything. The Barry Bremen legacy was bigger and more profound than any of them had ever realized. Jeremy Schapp brings us Part 2 of a tale unlike any other: one of family, and identity, and how technology has changed so many lives…and revealed so many secrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a story so wild we couldn’t fit it into one podcast. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember Barry Bremen. In the late 70’s, Barry was best known for dressing up as pro athletes and sneaking into televised sporting events…beginning with the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, where he shot layups on the court with stars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone. And while his “Great Imposter” persona brought him fame, an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and more adventures, Barry was also a totally normal family man…and a beloved dad. Bremen died of cancer in 2011, but his story didn’t end there. The latest E60 special “The Great Imposter and Me” reveals the most unbelievable part of the Barry Bremen story, which came long after he’d hung up his phony uniforms and disguises. Jeremy Schaap brings us this story in two parts, for ESPN Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We might never have seen anyone quite like Chet Holmgren in the NBA. This year’s second overall pick in the NBA Draft is over 7 feet tall, but he’s only 190 pounds. With a 7’ 6” wingspan, Holmgren can dribble up the floor and take step-back threes like a guard. There is so much hype around Holmgren…but there are also just as many questions. Will he be the prodigy that showed up and dominated in his first Summer League appearance? Or will he be bullied and pushed around by stronger big men once the season starts? Only one thing is certain about Chet Holmgren: we want to see more. ESPN’s Tim Keown joins us to profile the biggest (literally) storyline out of this year’s rookie class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been held in Russia on drug charges since February. Since then, her family, teammates and fans have implored President Biden to do everything in his power to bring Griner home. But yesterday, Griner pleaded guilty in a Russian courtroom, raising questions about Griner’s case, and her status as “wrongfully detained.” TJ Quinn explains why Griner chose to plead guilty…and what the United States might have to give up to bring her home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were on social media at all last weekend, you’ve seen the clip of Brian Windhorst on “First Take” – palms in the air, looking to the heavens like he’s the subject of a Renaissance painting and questioning what exactly the Utah Jazz were planning following the trade of Royce O’Neale. Hours later, Jazz All Star Rudy Gobert was traded to Minnesota, and Windhorst instantly became Twitter’s NBA Nostradamus. Given his new fame, Windhorst took the time for us little people at ESPN Daily, and tells us about how he’s handled life in the limelight…oh, and also what’s going on with the Brooklyn Nets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The starting pitcher has long been baseball’s marquee attraction, the guy who fans come out to see…but the job description has begun to change in recent years. Complete games are almost nonexistent, and the average outing for a starter has shrunk to barely scratching five innings. The numbers say pitching fewer innings is smart strategically…but is it good for the game and for fans? Jeff Passan explains to us how the position that was once the workhorse, has been reduced to a show pony…and what, if anything, can be done to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pullup has humbled all of us – from our middle school gym classes to any attempt to get into shape. Doing one, for many, is considered a victory, but then there’s Anthony Robles. The NCAA wrestling champion, who was born with one leg, brings his unbreakable will to take on not just the pullup bar, but one of Guinness’s most-hallowed records. So today, Ryan Hockensmith brings us to Arizona and tells the story of one man’s final pursuit of athletic immortality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the 4th of July, we revisit a special episode. It’s been 75 years since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, becoming the first Black player to take the field in Major League Baseball in 1947. Jackie was a specific player chosen at a specific time, when baseball was highly aligned with Black popular culture. But what happened between baseball and Black America in the decades after Jackie’s pivotal act? Why didn’t baseball become a majority Black sport, like basketball and football? Why didn’t MLB follow the culture into hip hop or grow its Black fan base? Jesse Washington uses his own lapsed baseball fandom to explore these questions with guests like Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Jackie’s son David Robinson, and current players and executives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the dream of every sports fan: the star player on your favorite team goes down with an injury. The coach is desperate, and someone needs to step up. Somehow you, the average sports fan, get picked out of the stands to hit with the bases loaded, or step in at quarterback, or take the game winning shot. Obviously, that never happens in real life, or in sports, really…except for extremely rare occasions in hockey, thanks to the EBUG rule: which stands for Emergency Back-Up Goaltender. It’s a rule that requires NHL teams to have a random person standing by in the arena, ready to hit the ice should either team’s two goalies both get injured. Jeremy Schaap interviewed some EBUGs who have been called to action, and he brings us the stories of the lucky few who have lived every fan’s dream. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Mets and their fans have been sports punchline fodder for decades. Case in point: Bobby Bonilla Day. Every July 1, this player who’s been retired for many years gets paid more than a million dollars. And it’s seen as the epitome of Mets dysfunction. But Mets fans are a resilient (if occasionally delusional?) bunch, and keep coming back for heartbreak. Author Devin Gordon refers to the team as the “Best Worst Team in Sports” in his book, “So Many Ways To Lose,” and he shares his research into the highs and lows of the Mets, their passionate fans and unique legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is a universal truth that commissioners of pro sports leagues will face deafening boos when they appear in public. Rob Manfred, MLB’s commish, is no exception. A lawyer and seemingly mild-mannered bureaucrat, Manfred has become one of the most hated figures in American sports thanks to a number of public gaffes and unpopular responses to baseball’s various scandals. Today, Don Van Natta takes us inside the world of Rob Manfred (after sitting down with him nearly ten times this year!) and what Manfred thinks his job really is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonquel Jones has won almost every on-court WNBA accolade there is. Since being drafted sixth overall in 2016, Jones has been named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player, Sixth Woman of the Year, and MVP. Before that, she was Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, and a WBCA All-American. But despite being one of the most decorated players in basketball, many people outside of diehard WNBA fans may not have heard of Jones. Being Black and gay and describing herself as more masculine, Jones sits at an intersection that has traditionally struggled to attract brands and media, even though the WNBA is the most inclusive American professional sports league. ESPN’s Katie Barnes talks to us about Jones’ identity, and they tell us if this will finally be the season that Jones wins a title…and if she’ll finally get to be herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Avalanche beat the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup last night, sending the trophy back to Colorado for the first time since 2001. It was an era when the Avalanche, and their archrivals the Detroit Red Wings, were engaged in a multi-year blood feud that became the center of the hockey universe. It was a rivalry perhaps best remembered for a game played 25 years ago, on March 26, 1997 in Detroit’s Joe Lewis Arena, and is now better remembered as “Fight Night at the Joe.” During the first period, Detroit’s Darren McCarty sought revenge on Colorado’s Claude Lemieux for a violent check in the previous year’s playoffs on the Red Wings’ Kris Draper. The hit caused severe injuries to Draper’s face, enraging the Red Wings, who were furious that Lemieux refused to even apologize to Draper. Now, a quarter-century later, those who were part of it are opening up about what made the rivalry so intense, as part of the latest E:60 special “Unvrivaled.” Detroit native Dave Fleming joins us to discuss the trajectory of the rivalry and why we may never see anything like it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For all the strides Title IX helped women make in sports, it’s never been a more contentious time for who gets to compete as a woman. In Part 4 of the documentary “37 Words,” filmmaker Clare Marash met transgender kids whose right to participate in society as themselves is in question by dozens of state legislatures — on the field and in life. And in our final episode to mark 50 years since Title IX became law, host Allison Glock and Clare Marash look at the future of civil rights around education and sports through families fighting for their kids to play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fifty years since Title IX became law, countless women and allies have fought for gender equality in sports and civil rights protections. Filmmaker Dawn Porter shares more about her “37 Words” documentary with host Allison Glock. They dig into the ways Title IX shows up in the lives of legends like Dawn Staley and Abby Wambach, as well as unknown heroes like a Georgia mom who took her daughter’s harassment case to the Supreme Court. Plus, what the new Angel City Football Club in L.A. seeks to do for women’s sports as a business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yale’s campus in the 1970s was a complex place for women. The school had only recently admitted female students, and even attending class could feel like a battle. To then take up space in sports as well? It was all very new. ESPN’s Allison Glock and “37 Words” filmmaker Nicole Newnham share how some bold Yale women found a valuable tool to seek equity: Title IX legislation. The Yale women’s crew team invoked the law when they stripped naked in front of the school’s athletic director, a protest against inadequate resources. And around the same time there was Alexander v. Yale, a groundbreaking case that established sexual harassment as gender discrimination, and required procedures to address it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Title IX became law 50 years ago, just 37 words of legislation established gender equity in education and athletics. ESPN Films’ new documentary series “37 Words” explores how that fight was won, and the impact it had across sports and society. In the first of four episodes with ESPN’s head of W Studios Allison Glock, documentary director Dawn Porter breaks down how sports converged with the women’s equality movement in the 60s and 70s. We focus on two icons: Gloria Steinem, the feminist author and activist, and former World No. 1 tennis champ and women’s advocate Billie Jean King. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Golden State Warriors swim in champagne after their NBA Finals win, the rest of the league turns its attention to the NBA Draft. The top three picks are clear, but it’s anyone’s guess on what order. Will the Orlando Magic take Jabari Smith, a dynamic shooter who just looks like the perfect fit for the modern NBA? Or will they take Chet Holmgren, the 7-footer out of Gonzaga with the skinny frame? What about Paolo Banchero, perhaps the most NBA-ready player in this draft class? Jonathan Givony has been an NBA Draft expert for 19 years. He tells us how he thinks the Draft is going to play out…and what the teams picking these players should expect from them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture yourself going to a ballpark as a kid. You remember how big everything felt, how you were just in awe of being so close to the players. That’s how 11-year-old Elyjah Blankenberg felt when he went to a spring training game between the Yankees and the Orioles, and he worked up the courage to get several autographs…including one from his favorite player, DJ LeMahieu. But the euphoria was short lived, when Elyjah lost his binder full of autographs…and nobody could find it. Ryan Hockensmith tells us the story of Elyjah’s lost treasures…and how the power of the internet rallied to help a young boy reclaim the magic of the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Golden State Warriors are one win away from their fourth NBA title in the past eight years. And while Steph Curry has been the consensus favorite to win the Finals MVP, his rough shooting performance in game 5 has opened the door for another Warrior teammate: Andrew Wiggins. Not only has Wiggins managed to slow down Jayson Tatum on defense, but he was undoubtedly the best player on either team in game 5. Malika Andrews sat down with Wiggins, and she tells us how he has shed the “bust” label from his days in Minnesota and how he has resurrected his career in the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stanley Cup Final begins tonight! The Tampa Bay Lightning are chasing history as they look to be the first team to three-peat as champions in 40 years…but standing in their way are the Colorado Avalanche, who just might be the NHL’s next IT team. It’s the Final matchup that many expected we’d get, so we call up our NHL expert Greg Wyshynski to tell us how these teams got here, and let us know what else we might see as they face off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PGA Tour has long been the gold standard of professional golf, rooted in tradition and nostalgia. But that may all be changing with the arrival of LIV Golf, the flashy new league with an unlimited bankroll thanks to its funding by the government of Saudi Arabia. ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenberg was in London this weekend to cover LIV’s inaugural tournament, and he joins us to describe what he saw, and where the league…and golf’s moral compass…might go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of two seasons in the NFL, a story has been brewing around Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For a while, the beats of the story were pretty familiar––promising young quarterback comes into the league, has his ups and downs, and leaves so many wondering if he’ll ever be the star they dreamed he could be. But last season, that story took a turn unlike any we’ve ever seen. That’s because a subset of fans decided to take control of the narrative themselves and, via Twitter, launch “TuAnon,” a conspiracy theory fixated on an alleged plot inside the Dolphins and throughout sports media to undermine Tua at every turn. So ESPN’s Dolphins beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques set out to find the mystery superfan at the center of the entire thing. And what he got was not just an interview, but a journey down a rabbit hole that gets deeper each day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hall of Fame announcer Mike Breen is back with his infamous “Bang!” call for the NBA Finals. The first two games went sadly “Bang!”less (as Breen was out due to Covid), and frankly they didn’t feel the same. That’s because Breen has called more NBA Finals games than anyone. So ahead of the Warriors-Celtics Game 4 tonight, we got the origin story of his single-syllable exclamation, and how his Hall of Fame career took shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the midst of war, residents of Ukraine were able to rally around something that gave them hope: their national soccer team. Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 to set up a chance at a World Cup bid, but ultimately fell short in heartbreaking fashion to Wales. Wright Thompson was there to witness it all, and he tells us what he saw in Kyiv, and what sports can mean to a country in the face of war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now it seems obvious that Jayson Tatum was destined for NBA stardom, the one to watch for the Celtics as they square off against Golden State in Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight. But Tatum beat the odds on a few levels to get here, thanks in large part to the dedication and relentless confidence of his mom, Brandy Cole. ESPN’s Liz Merrill gives us insight on Tatum’s deepest relationship, and how he grew from the roots planted by his mother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rickey Henderson is not only the MLB’s all-time stolen base king, not just the all-time leader in runs scored, he’s one of the best players the game has ever seen…or as baseball writer Bill James once said, “you could cut him in half and have two Hall of Famers.” But Henderson wasn’t always as revered as he is now, as his bold personality clashed with baseball purists at the time. Howard Bryant, author of the new book RICKEY: The Life and Legend of an American Original, looks back on Rickey’s 25-year career and tells us why baseball was never able to control him…no matter how hard it tried. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Women’s National Team has fought for equal pay in soccer for more than 20 years. And it seems to be here at last. A new labor agreement with US Soccer levels pay across gender, and could be a template for equity on the global stage. Guest host Sarah Spain joins two-time World Cup champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist (and Laughter Permitted podcast host) Julie Foudy to explain how the deal happened, how it works, and how it’ll benefit the men’s and women’s teams. Plus, Sarah and Julie talk owner-to-owner (Red Stars and Angel City FC, respectively) about the current National Women’s Soccer League season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ceremonial first pitch is a tradition almost as old as baseball itself, with presidents, celebrities and non-MLB athletes taking to the mound to aim for home plate. But the only person who may truly care about any first pitch…is the one throwing it, with the gut-wrenching feeling that they might biff. Our very own Mina Kimes will be in that position soon, throwing a first pitch for her beloved Seattle Mariners. So we called up MLB Insider Jeff Passan and enlisted legendary pitching coach Tom House to help us understand just what Mina’s getting into. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA Finals tip off tonight, and we caught up with Bob Voulgaris. The alleged former shadow GM of the Dallas Mavericks is of course also one of the most successful bettors in NBA history. He breaks down the matchup between the Boston Celtics, who are looking for their 18th championship in franchise history, and the Golden State Warriors, who return to the Finals for the sixth time in the past eight years. Voulgaris tells us what each team needs to do to get their hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy…and lets us in on his favorite to win it all.

Our first conversation with Bob, which includes fascinating behind the scenes details from his time working for Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, is available HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steph Curry is vying for his fourth NBA title. But ever wonder what he was like in college? At tiny Davidson College in North Carolina, he was kinda just like everyone else: going to the library, eating late-night chicken parm, helping his friend pack CDs…all while his basketball star was rising. Andscape’s David Dennis Jr. has known the NBA 3-point record holder, three-time champion and expected 2022 Finals MVP since those days. He hops in the time machine with stories of Steph that reveal his personality and character, before he was an NBA legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An NBA halftime lasts just 15 minutes. It’s a time for players to leave the court, fans to run to the bathroom or grab another beer, or, a break, for all intents and purposes. But for Rong Niu - it’s her time to shine. Rong, better known to audiences as the Red Panda, has been astounding NBA halftime audiences around the country for thirty years, with her 7-and-a-half-foot-tall unicycle, a stack of white bowls, and not much else. Rong Niu, the Red Panda herself, joins the show today to tell us her story - and how she became an NBA legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite decades of mediocrity, the New York Knicks inspire an almost religious devotion from their rabid fanbase. The Nets may play across town with three of the biggest stars in NBA history, but New York still bleeds blue and orange. That was never more evident than in the 1990s, when you could watch the Knicks fight on the court…figuratively and literally…at Madison Square Garden. Under the direction of head coach Pat Riley, and led by players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, the Knicks pioneered a style of basketball that was physical, intimidating, and rarely beautiful. Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks, explains how a team known for its tough guy image paved the way for the modern NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryce Weiler grew up listening to the likes of Brian Barnhart call Illinois basketball games, and as a young man who’d been blind since infancy, he fell in love with the pictures painted on the radio. During college in Indiana, Weiler forged a relationship with the basketball team, and then found his way to the broadcast booth himself. ESPN’s Sam Borden went to visit Weiler and learn more about his process as a live game analyst for college hoops (see more coverage from College GameDay here). He shares the story of a broadcaster motivated to prove that everyone deserves opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practice, practice, practice. The theory goes that with enough repetition, time, and hard work, anyone can become the master of their craft. 10,000 hours has long been heralded as the golden benchmark to achieving greatness in almost anything. But best-selling author and ESPN Daily mythbuster David Epstein puts the theory to the test again, and explains why the 10,000 hours myth has gained so much attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Michael Jordan began to cry during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech, that moment would turn one of basketball’s greatest players to the meme seen ‘round the Internet. Now, 10 years after Crying Jordan first became a meme, it's still just as popular as ever, popping up anywhere and everywhere. ESPN’s Dave Fleming once again brings us the origin story of this legendary meme, and tells us why every corner of society just can’t get enough of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 20 million people from 20 different countries across the most populated continent on the planet, you can make a pretty good case that the very concept of an “Asian-American” is incredibly oversimplified. There are some experiences however, that happen to unite Asian-Americans. For example, almost any Asian-American working in sports media can tell you about their shared experiences, from media personalities to NBA point guards…to the guy who ran the Minnesota Timberwolves until yesterday, Sachin Gupta. As part of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month, SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi tells us the story of the first Indian-American to ever be President of Basketball Operations for an NBA team, why the smartest people in the NBA respect him so much, and what his still-unfolding journey says about all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Jimmy Butler didn’t return to the second half of Game 3 vs. the Celtics, the Heat showed no signs of cooling down. Career performances from Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo and yes, even Max Strus, gave Miami the surge it needed to take the series lead, up 2-1. Ahead of Game 4 in Boston, Nick Friedell dissects the finest sample of Heat Culture we’ve seen so far…and he tells us what it means for the rest of the series. Then, a check in on the Western Conference Finals…where the Mavs are in danger of turning into dust…on the verge of being swept by the Warriors, now down 3-0. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest men’s tennis player of all time. His 20 Grand Slam titles place him just one behind Rafael Nadal for the most ever. He’s been ranked #1 in the world for a record 370 consecutive weeks. And he’s the defending champion heading into the French Open, which begins this weekend. But despite his brilliance on the court, Djokovic has never been beloved by tennis fans in the same way his rivals Nadal and Roger Federer have been. This past January, Djokovic found himself the center of controversy ahead of the Australian Open, when he was deported by the Australian government because of his vaccine status. Sam Borden traveled to Djokovic’s native Serbia to learn how he is preparing for his return to Grand Slam tennis following the fiasco in Australia. Borden also explains how Djokovic’s upbringing in a country that was torn apart by war has shaped his identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Florida Panthers are at home tonight for Game 2 of their 2nd round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. And while the Panthers are down 1-0 in the series…Florida’s league-leading offense has reinvigorated their fans for the first time in a generation. They are so excited, in fact, that they have begun throwing rats onto the ice. It’s a hair-raising tradition that dates back to the ‘95-’96 season, when a Cinderella Panthers team made the Stanley Cup Final in just their third year of existence. Emily Kaplan is here to explain how the Panthers rat tradition started, if it may or may not have contributed to the team’s long misfortunes…and the ways in which this generation’s Panthers are trying to write a new ending to their own tale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February. She’s been accused of carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage…charges that could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Last week, news came out that Griner’s pretrial detention in Russia had been extended by another month, and the US State Department announced that it now regards Griner as wrongfully detained. ESPN’s T.J. Quinn explains what these developments mean for Griner’s case, and what the US government may be doing to help win her release. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s a major topic in sports right now, as more elite athletes share personal struggles. Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin is one of the greatest of all time, hurtling down the slopes at breakneck speed. But in Beijing this year she stopped just seconds into a race where she was expected to take gold. Alyssa Roenigk talked to Shiffrin about this moment in Beijing, and how she’s taken a new approach to speaking her mind, public scrutiny and processing family grief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The best two words in sports are Game Seven, and we got two…in the form of major beatdowns. Grant Williams and the Celtics shut down Giannis and the Bucks at home to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the West, Playoff Luka added to his growing legacy with a shower of 3s to lead the Mavericks past the Suns. Brian Windhorst helps us process what happened Sunday, and sets up the Conference Finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture a baseball manager. Whatever image you’ve conjured in your mind of, say, a slightly out of shape, older man who’s all business - it probably doesn’t match Gabe Kapler, who manages the San Francisco Giants. Kapler is an enigma: an uber-buff fitness geek who only eats red meat. He sports well manicured facial hair and speaks in verse, sounding more like a poet than a baseball player. Tim Keown introduces us to Kapler, and how he’s rewriting baseball’s unwritten rules…and reimagining what it means to be a manager. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Marchand contains multitudes. Sure, the Boston Bruins winger could be called the most hated man in hockey…he’s served two suspensions in just this season. But Marchand is also one of the top scorers in the NHL, integral to the Bruins’ offense. He’s known for cheap shots, punching opposing players, licking faces, and was once given the nickname “Little Ball of Hate” from former President Barack Obama. With the Bruins facing elimination from the playoffs tonight, Greg Wyshynski tells us what Marchand can do to help his team, and explains his complicated legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These NBA playoffs are full of flopping. You’ve seen it: the flailing of the arms, the swing of the head, or the legs going akimbo. NBA players over the years have honed their skills in making it look like they got fouled, and some take it to the level of an artform. Retired NBA veteran, current ESPN analyst and “Old Man and the Three” podcast host JJ Redick gives us a masterclass in flopping, from his time in the game and a professional giver of takes today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Supreme Court ruled last summer that college athletes could earn money from their Name, Image, and Likeness, it was hailed as a positive breakthrough in college sports. But now that the NIL era is here, the reality is not so binary…rather, this new economy in college sports is getting very messy, very quickly. ESPN’s David Hale is here to tell us what’s really going on across the collegiate landscape, what the hidden cost of NIL is for athletes, and how to fix a system that might already be broken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA playoffs are bringing it! The 76ers held off the Heat on Sunday to tie the series at two games apiece, while the Mavericks stayed hot at home and beat the Suns 101-111. In Milwaukee the Bucks took Game 3 against the Celtics in a Saturday buzzer beater and face off again Monday night. Plus, with Ja Morant likely out for Monday the Grizzlies are in poor position to win against the Warriors, coming off a 30-point Game 3 loss. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is here to tell you what to watch for as the playoffs remain open to many paths ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re talking about practice…no, really. It’s been 20 years since Allen Iverson’s infamous rant, the one you’ve seen clips of pretty much everywhere, where Iverson goes off in response to a question about his practice habits. That roughly one-minute sound bite has come to be one of the most lasting moments of Iverson’s career…but it was the rest of that press conference that truly offers a window into Iverson’s life and career. It was the culmination of frustrating ends to two consecutive seasons, grief over the murder of his best friend…and the microscope he had been under since he was 17 years old. Justin Tinsley joins us to reflect on Iverson’s press conference, the fallout from it, and what everyone got wrong in the two decades since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Sue Bird’s WNBA career was a person, it would be old enough to drink. The 12-time All-Star, five-time first-team All-WNBA selection, Olympic Gold Medalist, four-time world champion, and recent NCAA women’s tournament megacast star may (or may not) hang it up after this 21st season. As the WNBA tips off, Bird and Pablo discuss her legendary career, how she’s seen the league change, and important ephemera like AOL screen names. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last season’s F1 drama was off the charts. The controversial, showstopper ending crowned Max Verstappen champion even as fans grumbled that all-time great Lewis Hamilton got robbed. Now, it’s mechanical challenges causing grief for Hamilton as he heads to the first-ever Miami Grand Prix with half a dozen drivers ahead of him. ESPN F1 editor and lifelong fan Laurence Edmondson catches us up on all the racing gossip, what to expect in Miami, and why US fans are finally catching on to Formula One. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to NBA referees, especially in the postseason, it’s hard not to think of that proverb about children: “They should be seen, and not heard.” But in recent days, NBA fans have been hearing plenty about the refs. Everyone from Draymond Green to Chris Paul to Joel Embiid have weighed in, frustrated by how the playoffs have been called. But in the eyes of NBA writer Ben Dowsett — our referee whisperer if you will — there’s also a lot more to this fraught dynamic than meets the eye. Dowsett takes us inside the world of NBA officiating to show us why everyone is frustrated with them, whether or not the league’s quest for accountability is doing anything…and why some teams are quietly redefining what it means to “work the refs.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NHL playoffs begin tonight and if you, like us, need to play catch up, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski is here to give us his annual lapsed fan’s guide. From the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning to the Alex Ovechkin-less Washington Capitals, to the surprising resurgence of the LA Kings, Wyshynski has everything you need to know about whichever team you’re backing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 years ago today, April 29, 1992, the city of Los Angeles went to war with itself. Riots erupted on the streets following the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King. It was a verdict that provoked outrage because the incident was captured on video, triggering a national debate over police brutality. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was a guard for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992. Doc shares how the sports world at large reacted to the verdict and the riots that followed, and how the social responsibilities of an athlete have changed in the 30 years since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Stingley Jr. is one of the most coveted defensive backs in tonight’s NFL Draft, and his name might sound familiar to older NFL fans. Derek Jr. is the grandson of Darryl Stingley, a young New England Patriots wide receiver who was paralyzed by a notorious, vicious hit from Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum in 1978. ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski brings us the story of how the Stingley family endured despite that tragedy, and continued to pursue an NFL legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the NFL Draft just one day away, you’ll likely hear all about a player’s hand size, or their 40-yard-dash time, or their wingspan…but there’s one measurement that NFL scouts pay more attention to than you might realize…and it’s right behind you. Yes, NFL scouts love big butts, and they cannot lie. But there’s a lot more to it than scouts simply gossiping about gluteals. There’s plenty of science behind why rear ends matter for athletic performance. And ESPN’s Dave Fleming joins us to share the data that can back it up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night from Las Vegas, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be first on the clock. What happens from there is pretty much anyone's guess. Will Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson be first off the board? Or will Georgia’s Travon Walker complete his rapid ascent to the very top of draft boards? Will Liberty’s Malik Willis or Pitt’s Kenny Pickett be the first QB taken? Like so much in Vegas, the answers are very much up in the air. Mina Kimes has been grinding tape in preparation for NFL Draft 2022 and was courteous enough to let us copy off her homework. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Celtics-Nets series started off as one of the more intriguing matchups in the first-round of the NBA playoffs. But after a pair of late-game meltdowns by Brooklyn, the herculean efforts of Jayson Tatum, and a blowout at home in Game 3, the Nets find themselves facing a sweep at home. We called up our Nets correspondent Nick Friedell ahead of Game 4 to get a sense of what’s at stake for Brooklyn in this series…and why a broom might not be enough to clean up this mess. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Athletes often say they love the city where they play, but Giannis Antetokounmpo takes it to a new level. He’s called Milwaukee home since the team drafted him in 2013. It wasn’t a given that the Greek native, a son of Nigerian immigrants, would stay in the midwestern city. But his massive 2020 contract extension shows the love is mutual. As the Bucks seek to defend their NBA title, our own ESPN Daily producer (and Wisconsin native) Ryan Nantell digs into a legendary anecdote from Giannis’ rookie season that shows why he and Milwaukee have been such a good fit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aidan Hutchinson made football his destiny. His childhood dream was to follow in the footsteps of his father Chris Hutchinson, the former Michigan linebacker who won a Rose Bowl and has the fourth-most sacks in Wolverine history. This dream was much more than just a passive thought: it was one of the many written goals that Aidan used as a guiding principle in his life and led him to breaking his dad’s records, bouncing back from a season-ending injury, and being a Heisman finalist. Ryan Hockensmith tells us about Hutchinson and the path that presumably will culminate in him being the first pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades the NBA has been in an intricate, expensive dance with China’s government. While the league has become wildly popular in China, its business there is increasingly complicated over issues like free speech and China’s record on human rights. If there’s one man who personifies the layers and complexities of NBA-China relations it’s Joe Tsai, the Chinese billionaire who owns the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada breaks down the ties of Tsai’s company, Alibaba, to the Chinese government, and his stance on social and political issues in China compared to the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If ever there was an NFL team that was going to be investigated by the United States Congress, it was going to be the Washington Commanders. From allegations of fostering a toxic workplace environment to sexual harrassment to their long overdue name change, the franchise under owner Daniel Snyder is constantly in the news…and not for success on the field. But if previous scandals and offenses haven’t seemed to move the needle enough for the league, now Snyder and the Commanders are under scrutiny for something we know the NFL cares about: money. ESPN’s Commanders reporter John Keim explains why politicians on Capitol Hill are now digging into the team’s finances, and whether this latest scandal could finally bring the league to step in and force out owner Daniel Snyder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL Draft is an American institution. And for the past four decades, the unmistakable voice of that institution has been Mel Kiper Jr. His “Big Board” and mock drafts have become a rite of spring, a yearly ritual that signals your team will soon be “on the clock.” It is a remarkable climb for someone who used a typewriter to compile draft reports as a teenager, before the NFL Draft was even televised. Mel joins the show to explain how he helped turn his personal obsession into a national obsession…and made us all draft nerds in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 75 years since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, becoming the first Black player to take the field in Major League Baseball in 1947. Jackie was a specific player chosen at a specific time, when baseball was highly aligned with Black popular culture. But what happened between baseball and Black America in the decades after Jackie’s pivotal act? Why didn’t baseball become a majority Black sport, like basketball and football? Why didn’t MLB follow the culture into hip hop or grow its Black fan base? Jesse Washington uses his own lapsed baseball fandom to explore these questions with guests like Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Jackie’s son David Robinson, and current players and executives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships begin today in Fort Worth, but you’d be forgiven if you mistook it for the Tokyo Olympics this past summer. That’s because no sport has been transformed by the Name, Image and Likeness revolution across college athletics as much as Women’s Gymnastics. Previously, Olympic stars like Tokyo All-Around Gold Medalist Suni Lee had to choose between cashing in on the lucrative endorsement deals that come with Olympic success, or competing in college. Now, under NIL, that is no longer an issue, meaning Lee will compete for an NCAA title this weekend as a freshman at Auburn. And Lee is not alone. Fellow US Olympians Jade Carey (Oregon St.), Jordan Chiles (UCLA), and Grace McCallum (Utah) will all be competing in Fort Worth, in what is shaping up to be perhaps the most competitive NCAA championships ever. Alyssa Roenigk breaks down how the sport is being transformed, as well as the names and teams you need to know before this weekend’s championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports betting has become exponentially more popular and accessible, with gambling on games now legal in more than 30 states. It’s a wildly difficult industry to oversee, though, with a patchwork of legislative details in each state, and varying rules on the types of bets that are legal or not. Even who has jurisdiction over what changes when you cross state lines. Paula Lavigne took a deep dive into the private companies that sell their services for oversight and fraud detection. She explains what they do - and don’t do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Michael Jordan began to cry during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech, that moment would turn one of basketball’s greatest players to the meme seen ‘round the Internet. Now, 10 years after Crying Jordan first became a meme, it's still just as popular as ever, popping up anywhere and everywhere. ESPN’s Dave Fleming brings us the origin story of this legendary meme, and tells us why every corner of society just can’t get enough of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We catch America’s Caddie, Michael Collins, fresh off the Masters in Augusta. He breaks down how Scheffler staved off the competition, and what got him his first winning green jacket. Plus, why Tiger Woods’ return was full of a different kind of love than we’ve seen from him in the past, even as all of us fans managed our greedy expectations. And what can we expect from the all-time great, as he continues to recover from a harrowing 2021 car accident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An NBA halftime lasts just 15 minutes. It’s a time for players to leave the court, fans to run to the bathroom or grab another beer, or, a break, for all intents and purposes. But for Rong Niu - it’s her time to shine. Rong, better known to audiences as the Red Panda, has been astounding NBA fans around the country for thirty years, with her 7-and-a-half-foot-tall unicycle, a stack of white bowls, and not much else. Rong Niu, the Red Panda herself, joins the show today to tell us her story - and how she became an NBA legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a lockout that put the entire 2022 MLB season in jeopardy, Opening Day has miraculously arrived. The start of a new season represents a blank slate for all teams, both contenders and pretenders. MLB Insider Jeff Passan makes sense of the offseason’s most dramatic moves and shares which teams he finds most intriguing this coming season. Are the Dodgers setting up for a World Series repeat? Will Pablo’s beloved Yankees be able to overcome their AL East rivals, the talented Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays? Plus, Jeff fills us in on MLB’s new tech to fight sign-stealing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2022 Masters Tournament tees off Thursday, but it will be without at least one of golf’s all-time greats: Phil Mickelson, who has won three times at Augusta and in 2021 became the oldest major champion ever by winning the PGA Championship at the age of 50. Mark Schlabach shares the stunning story of how Mickelson flirted with joining a breakaway golf league funded by the Saudi Arabian government, and in the process took aim at the PGA itself. It’s a saga that has made Mickelson a persona non grata in the golf world, essentially an exile from golf, and uncertain future on the PGA tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the NBA regular season winds down, there’s plenty of drama unfolding across the league. In Los Angeles, LeBron and the Lakers’ experiment continues to implode, hampered by injuries and a porous defense. Is there enough time for the team to bounce back and sneak into the postseason? And in the Eastern Conference, where Kyrie Irving is now free to play in Brooklyn’s home games: could the Nets be the most dangerous last-team-in in NBA postseason history? Brian Windhorst helps us parse through these questions and more, as we inch closer to the NBA playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks are your women’s NCAA basketball champions! Katie Barnes joins us from Minneapolis to break down how Aliyah Boston and company steamrolled over the Huskies, and handed UConn head coach Geno Auriemma his first ever loss in a championship game. Then, Myron Medcalf sets the scene for the men’s championship tonight, after a pair of semifinal matchups which saw Duke and Coach K taken down by their rival UNC in a thriller, and Villanova falling to David McCormack and the Kansas Jayhawks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love him or hate him, the mark that Mike Krzyzewski has left on men’s college basketball is indelible. Nobody has won more Division I men’s college basketball games than Coach K; he has won five national titles, made 13 Final Fours, and turned Duke University into one of the most iconic institutions in American life. And now, with his retirement imminent, he heads into his final Final Four, where he and Duke will take on their biggest rival North Carolina. In this special encore presentation, Wright Thompson takes us back to share exactly where Coach K came from, what it means for his reign to come to an end, and the legacy he’ll leave behind. This episode originally ran on March 4, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shocking upsets. Buzzer beaters. Cinderella stories. This year’s Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament has been overflowing with drama and thrills. But last March, Oregon’s Sedona Prince posted a TikTok revealing the drastic differences between the women’s and men’s college basketball weight rooms during the NCAA tournament. After the video went viral, and reports of other disparities circulated, the NCAA was forced to apologize, and promised to review and remedy inequities throughout the game. So as the Women’s Final Four tips off tonight, ESPN’s Dan Murphy explains how much progress has been made in the past year, and how the business of women’s college basketball is still limited, economically, in ways that have nothing to do with the quality of their game itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duke vs. UNC: when a rivalry is as storied as the one, it's hard to find ground that hasn’t already been tread. However, through the grace of the sports gods, that rivalry is headed towards uncharted territory. This Saturday, Duke will face UNC in the NCAA’s Final Four - and it’s the very first time these two teams have met in the tournament. ESPN Senior Writer and North Carolina native Ryan McGee explains why one of college basketball’s longest-running rivalries means so much to so many, and how excited UNC is at the prospect of playing spoiler to Coach K one more time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fall of 2017, the US Men’s National Soccer Team lost a decisive qualifying match against Trinidad & Tobago, and with it, a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was a humiliating defeat for a team that hadn’t missed a World Cup since 1986. Afterwards, ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman delivered an epic rant, blasting the culture of US Soccer that, in his view, had grown complacent and arrogant. Now, more than four years later, the Americans are on the cusp of redemption. Barring a complete blowout loss tonight against Costa Rica, the Americans can book their ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Taylor Twellman explains how the USMNT has changed their ways following the debacle in Trinidad, and what we can expect from a young roster that appears to be just getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBA veteran Aron Baynes arrived at the Tokyo Olympics as one of Team Australia's most trusted big men. But during a group stage game against Italy, Baynes mysteriously fell in the bathroom during a break. When he was discovered by team staff, he had lost the ability to walk and had to be carried out on a stretcher. No one knew what was wrong. Brian Windhorst tells the story of Baynes’ medical mystery and the ordeal that followed: from being isolated in a Japanese hospital, weeping in pain day after day, to learning how to walk again...and what his path back to the NBA looks like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Final Four is set! On Sunday, we learned UNC and Duke will meet for the first time ever in the NCAA tournament. And the Kansas Jayhawks punched their ticket to the next round, taking down Miami 76-50. And this year’s Cinderella story, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, finally got turned back into a pumpkin by UNC. On Saturday, Duke beat Arkansas 78-69, sending Coach K to his 13th and final Final Four. And Villanova stuck to their fundamentals in their takedown of Houston, 50-44. Myron Medcalf takes us inside all of the tournament action and tells us what to watch for in the Final Four. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South Carolina Gamecocks are the women’s number one overall seed, and take the court in the Sweet Sixteen tonight. After blowing out their first two opponents by an average of 37 points, SC coach Dawn Staley will be looking to take another step towards her second national title. But before Staley won her first championship came coach Carolyn Peck, the first Black woman to coach a team to an NCAA basketball title, with Purdue in 1999. Today, Carolyn Peck shares her story with us, and explains how she actually invited Dawn Staley to become the second member of her all too exclusive club … and what came next for both of these trailblazers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been over a decade since NBA veteran Lorenzen Wright was murdered. Wright’s twin sons, Lamar and Shamar were just ten years old when their father was killed. Their mother, and Wright’s ex-wife, Sherra pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of her husband in 2019, then attempted to reverse her plea to not guilty, but has since dropped the bid and will serve out the remainder of her sentence. And this week, one of the suspects who was accused of the crime, Billy Ray Turner, was found guilty of murder by a Tennessee jury. Through the loss of their father and the arrest of their mother, Lamar and Shamar Wright have pushed on, and are now playing college basketball together. Lisa Salters shares the story of Wright’s murder and the family he left behind, also covered in the E:60 A Murder in Memphis, available on demand now in the ESPN app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme might be the biggest star in college basketball. From his questionable facial hair to his taunting theatrics, Timme is more than just the top scorer on the #1 team in the country. He’s an entertainer who is part of a dying species in the one-and-done era: a star upper-classman who lives and plays like he never wants college to end. Timme and the Zags are in search of redemption after last year’s loss in the NCAA Championship game to Baylor. But first, they’ll have to get past Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Tim Keown explains what makes Timme tick, how the tournament’s going for him, and what we should expect to see next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryce Weiler grew up listening to the likes of Brian Barnhart call Illinois basketball games, and as a young man who’d been blind since infancy, he fell in love with the pictures painted on the radio. During college in Indiana Weiler forged a relationship with the basketball team, and then found his way to the broadcast booth himself. ESPN’s Sam Borden went to visit Weiler and learn more about his process as a live game analyst for college hoops (see more coverage from College GameDay here). He shares the story of a broadcaster motivated to prove that everyone deserves opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, the Cleveland Browns acquired QB Deshaun Watson, in a massive trade that sent shockwaves across the NFL. Last year, Watson was accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior by multiple massage therapists, and there are currently 22 pending civil lawsuits against him. The Watson trade comes on the heels of a Texas grand jury declining to indict Watson on criminal charges, which re-ignited interest for several NFL teams, including Cleveland, who went big to make the trade happen. However, Watson could still face disciplinary action from the NFL as a result of the allegations. Mina Kimes discusses the timeline of events surrounding Watson, and what his deal means for the NFL at large. Mina and Pablo also unpack the other biggest NFL trades from the last week, including Davante Adams to the Raiders and Von Miller to the Bills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iditarod is the most famous dog sled race in the entire world, run across 1000 miles through the Alaskan wilderness. And while the event brings to mind images of furry dogs and beautiful landscapes, the race is incredibly challenging and dangerous. Liz Merrill traveled up north and spent time with Bridgett Watkins, an ER nurse who is competing in the race for the first time this year despite her team enduring a brutal attack by a bull moose in February. Merrill shares Watkins’ experience and story of survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, will compete in the NCAA championships. It’s the culmination of a season that has included records and conference championships, as well as backlash and outcry from those who believe she should not be allowed to compete on the women’s team. The NCAA had considered making changes to its policies around trans athletes ahead of this week’s NCAA Championships, but kept their current guidelines in place, clearing the path for Lia to swim for a national title. ESPN’s Katie Barnes joins us from the Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta with the very latest on Lia’s story, the potential public protests, as well as the ripple effect in state legislatures across the country, where Thomas has been invoked as an example for lawmakers seeking to restrict trans youth participation in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, when the calendar turns to March, it’s time for just one thing in the world of sports: college basketball….a lot of it. And for Chris “The Bear” Fallica, March is a time when numbers reign supreme. From seeds to statistics, to of course, betting odds…Fallica is a college basketball savant. He joins the show to share his path from research producer to sports betting analyst, where he is frequently seen making picks against the spread on College Gameday, and helps guide us through the NCAA Tournament action based on those numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Brady has done it to us AGAIN. It’s been mere weeks since he supposedly hung up his cleats, but now he’s ready to lace them back up and play another season in Tompa Bay. We called up our resident Brady expert Seth Wickersham to tell us why we probably should’ve seen this coming…what we might expect from Brady and his Bucs this season…and whether Cristiano Ronaldo had anything to do with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was arrested by Russian police at an airport near Moscow last month. Griner is being held on charges that she was transporting hashish oil, a marijuana concentrate, which is illegal in Russia. The details of Griner’s arrest were not public until early March. That sparked outcry over the lack of attention around Griner’s case, but also concern that publicity could further endanger her. ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn explains what we know and how a delicate dance plays out from here, as government officials and those closest to Griner fight to bring her home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Ovechkin tied Jamomir Jagr this week for the third most goals in NHL history. But just as Ovi is climbing the ladder of hockey immortality, he is facing scrutiny like never before following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ovechkin, like the 40 other Russian players in the NHL, have avoided directly condemning the war, which has invited public backlash. But it’s an almost impossible situation for Russian players, knowing that opposition to the war could invite harassment for their families back in Russia. Emily Kaplan explains how the hockey world has been shaken by the war in Ukraine. Then, she updates on a different kind of controversy: Jack Eichel’s return to Buffalo to play against his former team following a bitter fight over how to treat his neck injury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All eyes will be on Philadelphia tonight when James Harden and the Sixers take on Harden’s former team, the visiting Brooklyn Nets…who may or may not have simply been a cog in a long-play by Harden and Daryl Morey to get to Philly all along. Oh, and Ben Simmons will be there too, though he won’t be playing due to an injury. Zach Lowe tells us all about this possible conspiracy and catches us up on what’s been going on around the league, including a couple of pantheon performances by LeBron James. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Rodgers is staying in Green Bay, and Russell Wilson is heading to Denver to the Broncos! While the details of the Rodgers deal are still being ironed out, Russell Wilson will call the Mile High City his new home, and he enters an AFC West that’s loaded with star QBs like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Bill Barnwell unpacks the latest in these blockbuster NFL moves and explains how they’ve upended the seats of power in the NFL. Plus, Calvin Ridley’s gambling suspension. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The thrill of March Madness has long been the allure of upsets – the single-elimination Cinderella runs and David v. Goliath battles. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf is about to cover his 12th straight NCAA tournament, and he shares why this year’s potential for dramatic upsets is high. We break down this season’s unprecedented parity, and which teams and divisions deserve more eyes as the tournament begins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a special live episode of ESPN Daily! This weekend in Boston, some of the brightest minds from across the sports world gathered for the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. One of the panels, led by our own Pablo Torre, focused on the growing concern that many of the major sports' regular seasons feel like they don’t matter as much as they used to, with players and media focused solely on championship rings. The panel entitled “Maximizing Competitive Meaning” featuring the NBA’s Evan Wasch, Brad Pursel of MLS, and Sam Schwartzstein, formerly of the XFL, addressed this very question, and examined how fixing the regular season just may require tinkering with some of sports most sacred traditions. We’re excited to bring you this panel, in podcast form! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love him or hate him, the mark that Mike Krzyzewski has left on men’s college basketball is indelible. Nobody has won more Division I men’s college basketball games than Coach K; he has won five national titles, made 12 Final Fours, and turned Duke University into one of the most iconic institutions in American life. And now, as Coach K prepares to say goodbye to the program he built at Duke, Wright Thompson takes us back to share where he came from, what it means for his reign to come to an end, and the legacy he’ll leave behind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that the first two series of the regular season, over 90 games in total, would be canceled. Negotiations between MLB and its Players Association have dragged on since the lockout began in December, and the current tensions have been brewing for years. MLB Insider Jeff Passan called it one of the darkest days in baseball. He tells us why the players are upset, whether or not this was inevitable…and just how far both sides are from an agreement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The entire world has watched in shock and horror this past week as the Russian Army invaded Ukraine. At the center of it stands one man, whose thinking and motivation everyone is seeking to better understand: Russian president Vladimir Putin. But as it turns out, there may be no better way into the mind of Putin than through his deep, deliberate impact on the world of sports. Investigative reporter TJ Quinn traveled to Russia in 2018 to report on Putin’s ties to the sports world, and how he has used major events like the World Cup and the Olympics to maintain his grip on power. Quinn explains what we can learn about Putin through the lens of sports, and why athletes and officials are finally fighting back against him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL combine: an annual spectacle that is part job interview, part gym class, and part reality TV show. It is also a critical moment in deciding the future of a new class of NFL draft prospects. An exceptionally good or bad performance in the combine will make a prospect’s draft stock rise or fall, meaning millions in potential salary is on the table. But just how useful is the combine in actually predicting a player’s NFL career? And what is it like for the players to run the gauntlet of medical evaluations, physical tests, and character evaluations? ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth went through the process in 2005. He shares all the secrets from inside the scouting combine, and why it may not be as important as we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For six years the Dallas Cowboys had a secret. One of their top executives was accused of spying on several cheerleaders in a locker room: and the team wrote a big check to make it all go away. Don Van Natta investigates this story for ESPN and shares the other bombshell accusation that was made, what it reveals about Jerry Jones’ team, and what happens next for the women at the center of this incident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While NBA players and their style of play have changed drastically in the league’s 75 years of existence, the rules that govern the game have mostly stayed the same. The popularity of the All-Star Game’s “Elam Ending” shows that changing many of basketball's long-standing rules could improve the game for fans, players and the league. ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry dives deep into which rules should get scrapped and what to do instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Marchand contains multitudes. Sure, the Boston Bruins winger could be called the most hated man in hockey, back on the ice tonight after serving his latest suspension - his second of the season. But Marchand is also one of the top scorers in the NHL, integral to the Bruins’ offense. He’s known for cheap shots, punching opposing players, licking faces, and was once given the nickname “Little Ball of Hate” from former President Barack Obama. Greg Wyshynski joins us to discuss Marchand’s reputation, his impact on the Bruins, and how we’ll look back on his legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all turned to Wikipedia, the massive volunteer-run database, for more answers than we’d care to admit. And we’re so often reminded that anyone - anyone - can edit Wikipedia entries whenever they want. So when massive sporting events like the Olympics happen, and sports become a shared cultural touchstone, you can bet that Wiki-vandals will pounce. They edit Wikipedia entries and turn them into a modern-day, digital bathroom wall. ESPN’s Dave Fleming takes us inside the secret world of Wikipedia sports vandalism, shares how this phenomenon began, and tells us what Wikipedia is trying to do to stop it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Play Like a Champion Today.” It’s one of the most iconic phrases in sports, and it’s long been synonymous with Notre Dame. Over the years, legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has told the story of the team’s famous sign, and the traditional pregame slap that’s performed as they take the field. Holtz put up the sign, yes. But where did he get the idea? Another powerhouse college program disputes Holtz’s claims. ESPN’s Dave Wilson tells us who might - or might not - deserve credit for one of the most famous sentences in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Badwater ultramarathon is known as the world’s most impossible run. From grueling mountain climbs to scorching, 100+ degree temperatures in the middle of Death Valley, it’s a 135 mile race that only a select group of individuals have ever finished. Enter Kelaine Conochan, who pushed her mind, body, and soul to its limit, in pursuit of completing the race in July of 2021. She wrote about her Badwater experience for ESPN.com, and shares what she lost - and found - in her 37 hours of running, chafing, chugging flat Coca-Cola, and flat out surviving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a 3-pointer and a bow at Madison Square Garden’s center court, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young added to his growing legend in last year’s playoffs. To understand that moment, and the 23-year-old NBA All Star that authored it, ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye traced Young’s roots back to tiny Pampa, Texas and a love for basketball passed down through generations. Akintoye explains the mental makeup and leadership potential of a young man who's not afraid to play the villain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Angels’ pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in July of 2019, it sent shock waves across baseball. There was an outpouring of grief and sorrow for the loss of a promising young player, teammate, and husband at just 27 years old. But the shock of Skaggs’ death was only compounded when Eric Kay, who had been the Angels’ own director of communications, was arrested and accused of supplying the opioids that lead to Skaggs’ death. Now, more than two years later, Kay is on trial in federal court, and could face upwards of 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial has also seen testimony from a number of Skaggs’ former teammates, including former Mets’ ace Matt Harvey, who also acknowledged that he received drugs from Kay. ESPN investigative reporter TJ Quinn joins us from the site of the trial in Fort Worth, Texas to explain what Eric Kay, and baseball at large, is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas took to the pool for first time as a transgender woman, on the women’s team. Thomas’ gender transition was several years in the making, and she adhered to guidelines from her sport’s governing bodies as she returned to competition. But when Thomas started winning and breaking records this season, her story made news well beyond the swimming world, and critics of transgender inclusion in sports took particular note. As Thomas heads to the Ivy League championships, ESPN’s Katie Barnes tells the story of this barrier-breaking swimmer, the policies and politics that surround her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was the blockbuster trade NBA fans had been waiting for: James Harden for Ben Simmons. It was a seismic swap that finally came together in the closing moments ahead of the trade deadline, with Sixers president Daryl Morey shouting “Stay on the f---ing phone!” to Nets GM Sean Marks. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne takes us inside all of the conversations that led to James Harden becoming a 76er, and shares how the trade’s actually been brewing for years. And while both Ben Simmons and James Harden are getting a fresh start: is this truly the final chapter of their sagas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles Rams have won Super Bowl LVI! Bill Barnwell tells us what it took for LA to bring home the Lombardi Trophy. The Rams went all-in on the NFL’s biggest season in history, and after injuries to key players and struggling to establish the run, it was none other than Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, and Cooper Kupp who put the team on their back. How did they beat the Bengals? And what does Bill make of this dramatic season? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL season ends this Sunday in Inglewood, when the Los Angeles Rams host the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Pablo met up (in person!) with our resident QB Alex Smith to get his perspective on how these teams match up, and how the view is different one year removed from his own time on the field. We dig into the qualities of Rams underrated QB Matthew Stafford, and what it’s like to line up against the force that is Aaron Donald. With the Cinderella Cincinnati Bengals, we explore how Joe Burrow got here this quickly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been ten years since Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012. The link between the musical icon and sports is specific and indelible, through her iconic rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV. While her performance was breathtaking, much of what made it truly special, and the events surrounding it, have been overlooked. E:60’s Jeremy Schaap relives a classic Super Bowl memory, and why Whitney’s high notes from that night continue to echo a decade after her passing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outside of maybe Joe Burrow himself, there are not a lot of people who thought the Cincinnati Bengals would be playing for the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday. The franchise is just a couple years removed from having the worst record in the NFL and prior to the 2021 season, they hadn’t won a playoff game in more than three decades…and they entered this season with 125-1 odds of making it to the Super Bowl. It all adds up to one of the most shocking Super Bowl appearances ever, one that has even stunned the city it calls home. ESPN’s Bengals reporter Ben Baby explains how the franchise turned it around so fast (hint: Joe Burrow), and just what the city of Cincinnati is making of their unexpected success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA is in a frenzy, as the trade deadline approaches. Rumors have swirled about some of the league’s biggest stars but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has the truth. He pulls back the veil of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets front office as the Ben Simmons saga may continue past the deadline. With some teams already making moves, Windhorst has the details on some possible deals that could tighten the arms race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Los Angeles Rams traded for Matthew Stafford this offseason, they delivered one of the NFL’s biggest arms to one of its biggest brains: head coach Sean McVay. Over a dozen years in Detroit, Stafford put up big individual numbers, but the Lions’ lackluster talent meant that his ability was often squandered on teams that had no real chance at contending for a Super Bowl. That is no longer the case, as Stafford, McVay, and the rest of the Rams franchise know that nothing less than the Lombardi Trophy will be considered a success: it’s Super Bowl or bust in LA, and they’re on the cusp of reaching that goal. Today, Seth Wickersham takes us behind the scenes of how the Stafford trade went down, what it all says about quarterbacks in the modern era, and how Cabo, apparently, is the nexus of power in the NFL. Then, a look back at the play that changed not only Tom Brady's career...but also the NFL itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Beijing Olympics began this week, and while many will be supporting their country’s athletes from afar, the shadow of China’s complicated human rights record will be dimming the glamour of the games. From the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shaui to the horrific treatment of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province to China’s anti-democracy and free speech crackdowns, the moral and ethical complications of placing the games in China have highlighted tensions within the International Olympic Committee. Sam Borden explains the sociopolitical context of the Beijing Olympics, and why these games feel so much more complicated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit this week against the NFL and three teams, alleging discrimination and racism in their hiring practices. The suit includes shocking details, alleging that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 per loss to improve the team’s draft position. Flores also allegedly learned that the New York Giants’ head coaching job he was set to interview for was no longer available, through an accidental text from Bill Belichick. Ryan Smith explains the lawsuit, its relationship to the NFL’s Rooney Rule for coach hiring, and what’s next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re not paying attention to the Memphis Grizzlies this season, you might want to start now. Led by the electric Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have the NBA’s third best record, and have earned a reputation for their swagger and fearlessness. Tim MacMahon shares why things are finally clicking in Memphis, tracks Ja Morant’s rise, and explains what makes this team so entertaining - and if they can make a run in the NBA postseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Winter Olympics begin this week, but if you’re anything like us, you probably need some help getting up to speed on who to watch out for in Beijing. There’s Red Gerard, defending gold medalist in snowboarding from the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, whose family just might be the Gronkowskis of the Olympics. There is the most decorated American skier ever, Mikaela Shriffin, who finally gets the spotlight to herself with the retirement of Lindsey Vonn. And then there’s Chloe Kim, who famously won gold in 2018 at the age of 18…but her path back to the snow has been a rocky one. Our resident Olympics correspondent Alyssa Roenigk is here to fill you in on everything you need to know for the 2022 Winter Games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bengals and Rams are going to Super Bowl LVI! In the AFC Championship, Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ defense took the Chiefs to overtime and won in Arrowhead, sending Cincinnati to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988. And, in the NFC Championship in Los Angeles, the Rams capitalized on a lackluster performance from Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense. Alex Smith breaks down the games, and shares his memories of the maybe-soon-to-be-retired Tom Brady. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Thicc Six.” It’s a phrase that has exploded across Twitter this NFL season, usually when a quarterback throws a touchdown to an open…and eligible…offensive lineman. But, why are we seeing so many Big Man touchdowns all of sudden? And what makes them so awesome? Mike Golic Jr. takes us into the trenches and into the psychology of the NFL’s largest men, and explains why their moment in the spotlight brings so much joy to so many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last summer, championship expectations were set. But now, they currently sit in the eighth seed of the Western Conference with a .500 record. They might even miss the playoffs. It’s become clear that the Westbrook experiment playing out on this Lakers team is failing. So who’s at fault? And what’s next? Ramona Shelburne takes us inside Crypto.com Arena to answer all of our questions, and game out solutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been exactly two years since a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, three members of the Altobelli family and four others. Alyssa Altobelli was a teammate of Gianna’s, and she was accompanied by her parents John and Keri. As it turns out, John was a legendary figure in his own right as the head baseball coach of Orange Coast College, a junior college in Orange County. In his 27 years at the helm of the program, John won over 700 games and four state championships. ESPN’s Chris Connelly explains the mutual respect John and Kobe had for each other, and just how big of an impact John had on his team…and in his community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the results of what may be the most controversial ballot in Cooperstown history. It’s not only the final year players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Curt Schilling can appear on the writers’ ballot, but also the first year David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are eligible. So our baseball insider Jeff Passan walks us through the process of HOF voting and what’s at stake. He also explains why he chose to give us his own Hall of Fame vote, and how he thinks Cooperstown should tell the history of baseball’s PED era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The football was very, very good this weekend. Mere seconds were the difference in NFL seasons living and dying, as all four games came down to their final play. Our Monday Morning QB, Alex Smith is here to unpack what may be the best couple days of playoff football ever. Mahomes vs. Allen lived up to the heavyweight billing with a quarterback duel for the ages, trading touchdowns and finally ending in overtime. Smith also takes us through why Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense froze out in Green Bay, why Matthew Stafford and the Rams are inching closer to the ultimate home field advantage, and how Joe Burrow and the Bengals stunned the top seeded Titans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL divisional round playoffs are here! In the NFC, the Niners are looking for another upset on the road: this time in Lambeau, vs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. And Matthew Stafford’s LA Rams have a date with Tom Brady and the Bucs, in Tampa. Over in the AFC, Joe Burrow and the Bengals will face a healthy Derrick Henry and the Titans, while Josh Allen and the Bills meet Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. Mina Kimes takes us inside each matchup, and tells us what she’s watching for in this weekend’s games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL longsnapper lives and dies in football’s “game of inches.” These unsung heroes have to aim the ball and get it to the kicker when the game is on the line. But what goes into the art and science of longsnapping? Dave Fleming brings us onto the field and shows us what the world looks like from a longsnapper’s point of view, and shares how these niche players do their high-precision, high-pressure jobs upside down where perfection is the only acceptable standard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite decades of mediocrity, the New York Knicks inspire an almost religious devotion from their rabid fanbase. The Nets may play across town with three of the biggest stars in NBA history, but New York still bleeds blue and orange. That was never more evident than in the 1990s, when you could watch the Knicks fight on the court…figuratively and literally…at Madison Square Garden. Under the direction of head coach Pat Riley, and led by players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, the Knicks pioneered a style of basketball that was physical, intimidating, and rarely beautiful. Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks, explains how a team known for its tough guy image paved the way for the modern NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the summer, Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was struck and killed by fireworks at a 4th of July celebration in Michigan. It was a tragedy that hit especially hard for Kivlenieks’ friend and teammate, fellow netminder Elvis Merzlikins. The two goaltenders shared more than just their position: they were among just a handful of NHL players from the tiny nation of Latvia. Merzlikins even invited Kivlenieks to live with him and his wife in Columbus. Emily Kaplan joins the show to share the story of their friendship, the tragedy that took one life far too young, and how the Blue Jackets plan to honor their fallen teammate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The heroics and heartbreak of the NFL playoffs are here! Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down all the action from a Super Wild Card weekend that delivered…from Cincinnati breaking its 31-year playoff curse, to the Cowboys finding yet another year of heartbreak as the clock ran down to 0…to the Bills decimating the Patriots. Then, ESPN’s Louis Riddick previews the first Monday Night Wild Card matchup in over 30 years…a rubber match between two familiar NFC West foes in the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend is here! This supersized first round of playoff action has it all. The AFC playoffs will see the Raiders travel to Cincinnati to take on Joe Burrow - who’s in danger from Las Vegas DE Maxx Crosby, the Patriots and Bills grinding through single digit temperatures, and T.J. Watt making a stand, as the Steelers visit the Chiefs. The NFC side of things sets up an Eagles team who may be getting hot at the right time vs. the Super Bowl champion Bucs, a matchup laden with playoff history between the Cowboys-Niners, and Kyler Murray’s playoff debut when the Cardinals play the Rams. Bill Barnwell helps us make sense of every playoff game, under-the-radar player and storylines you may have missed, and what comes next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of the NFL regular season inevitably means a round of firings of head coaches from the league's underperforming teams. But this year, one name came as a shock: Brian Flores. He was fired by the Miami Dolphins after compiling a record of 24-25 in his three seasons at the helm. The Dolphins nearly made it to the playoffs in 2020, and bounced back from an 0-7 start this season to finish 9-8. ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques explains what led to Flores’ ousting…and why it may have had nothing to do with football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most surprising MVP candidate in the NBA this season basically spent a dozen years hiding in plain sight: DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls. Remembered by many as being the player on the other end of the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard trade, DeRozan is having his best season yet at age 32. Now playing for the upstart Chicago Bulls, DeRozan isn’t just leading the 1st place team in the Eastern Conference: he’s feeding into a championship hunger that dates back to Michael Jordan and the 90s. Bulls beat writer Jamal Collier sat down with DeRozan, and he joins the show to share his story, and tells us what the mood is like in Chicago now that the Bulls are back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Georgia Bulldogs are your 2022 College Football Champions! The biggest night in CFB was a thriller until the very end, with Georgia and Alabama trading touchdowns late into the fourth quarter. After a season that saw continued discussion of changing the College Football Playoff, the introduction of NIL freedom for players, and SEC omnipresence, Mike Golic Jr. breaks down the game that won the title, what the win means for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, a former assistant of Nick Saban’s, and what’s ahead for the ever-dominant SEC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL’s regular season has left us with wider eyes than when it started. Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down the Sunday chaos where the improbable ruled: the Raiders won in overtime, narrowly evading the vaunted tie scenario and keeping the Chargers out of the playoffs. Earlier, the 49ers pulled off the comeback to beat the Rams in LA in OT. And the Colts, who had a win-and-in scenario in Jacksonville, will now have to settle for front row seats at the college National Championship Game – by the way that’s where we found ESPN’s Dave Fleming and his daughter Ally, decked out for the Dawgs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL finishes its first 17-game regular season this weekend, and stakes around the league are high. With numerous records across the sport on the verge of breaking this Sunday, Bill Barnwell reflects on what a weird football season it’s been, and answers our most burning questions headed into the playoffs, like: could the Saints sneak into the NFC race with Taysom Hill under center, or even unknown QB Ian Book? Are the Titans the worst #1 seed the AFC has ever seen? And should the Raiders and Chargers declare a temporary truce so they both can make the playoffs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever been to a sporting event, you’ve probably held your breath, closed your eyes, and had the shared human experience of using a porta potty. But behind this unglamorous, stomach-turning necessity are the companies and people responsible for supplying and cleaning them, especially on NFL gamedays. Ryan Hockensmith traveled to Orchard Park for a Buffalo Bills game and tailgate, and went behind-the-scenes with a sanitation company on a typical Sunday. He shares his reporting with us, and takes us inside the industry: the sights, sounds, smells, and sucks of porta potties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyrie Irving is expected to play his first game of the season for the Brooklyn Nets tonight, after missing 35 games because he is not vaccinated for Covid-19. New York City has a vaccine mandate, meaning Irving is prohibited from playing home games in Brooklyn. But now, after initially saying they would not allow Irving to play part-time, the Nets have reversed course, and the team is allowing him to play on the road. ESPN’s Brooklyn Nets reporter Nick Friedell explains the Nets’ game plan, how they arrived at the decision to bring Kyrie back, and what the rest of Brooklyn’s season could look like with Irving playing only on the road. We also ask Nick about his past life covering the Golden State Warriors, and Klay Thompson’s impending comeback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practice, practice, practice. The theory goes that with enough repetition, time, and hard work, anyone can become the master of their craft. The 10,000-Hour Rule was derived from performance research and then Malcolm Gladwell made it famous everywhere from sports to investing. But best-selling author David Epstein joins the show to put the theory to the test. He explains why the concept of 10,000. hours to mastery is so appealing, and so wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL regular season is hurtling to a dramatic finish, as the playoff picture became clearer in Week 17. The Bengals and the Chiefs rang in the new year with fireworks from both offenses, culminating in a division-clinching, game-winning field goal for Cincinnati. Tom Brady showed us that he’s still Tom Brady. He led the Buccaneers to a comeback win over the Jets, after Antonio Brown suddenly fled the game. In the NFC West, Kyler Murray led the Cardinals to a win over the Cowboys, while Matthew Stafford overcame his first half struggles against the Ravens to lead the Rams to victory…with some help from a couple of LA’s mid-season acquisitions. Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down what he saw and gives insight on Baker Mayfield ahead of Monday Night Football’s matchup between the Steelers and Browns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia's mother, Dr. Kate Karikó, has seen her lifelong work come to fruition in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Karikó’s dedication to her research amidst adversity inspired her daughter, who became an elite rower and Olympian. In a re-air of one our favorite episodes, ESPN’s Julie Foudy once again takes us through the story of Dr. Karikó’s perseverance, her mRNA breakthroughs behind the vaccine, and the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the E:60 feature “What We’re Made Of.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Olson is a quiet, Midwestern father of three, living an ordinary life. That is until one day this summer, when doing some home renovation, he discovered some bowling balls buried under the steps leading to his backyard. And not just two, or three, or 10 or 20 bowling balls. In total, Olson uncovered a whopping 162 bowling balls from his property, and ended up going viral with his story. Where had the balls come from? How did they end up at Olson’s house? Ryan Hockensmith re-tells this stranger-than-fiction story of man’s unexpected discovery…and the unexpected way in which it ultimately transformed his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Voulgaris turned his career as a professional, data-driven NBA bettor into a dream job when Mark Cuban made him Director of Quantitative Research and Analysis for the Dallas Mavericks. But tension built between Voulgaris and then-GM Donnie Nelson, and relationships with players got muddy. Reports in The Athletic this year claimed the former bettor was running the show behind the scenes in Dallas. Then, during the offseason, the GM, coach and Voulgaris all left the team. Today, we respin our October conversation with Bob Voulgaris––his first interview since leaving the Mavs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Italian town of Bergamo is fiercely loyal to its soccer team, Atalanta B.C. As the perennial underdogs made a run to the Champions League 2020 quarterfinals, Atalanta drew tens of thousands of Bergamo fans to hug, cry, sing and celebrate for their win. No one knew then it was the last time they’d gather like that. Just as fans returned to their homes, Bergamo became an epicenter of coronavirus infection that led to thousands of deaths. Sam Borden tells the story of how a tight-knit culture and fandom made Bergamo vulnerable to the pandemic. And how that very closeness, along with the hope of cheering Atalanta again, offers a path forward from devastating loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cats made many cameos in sports in 2021, from a stray at Yankee Stadium to a dangling feline in Miami. But ESPN’s Liz Merrill has the original wild and twisting tale of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Rally Cat. When the kitten crawled onto the field during the bottom of the sixth in a 2017 game against the Kansas City Royals, Yadier Molina proceeded to hit a go-ahead grand slam on the very next pitch. Hear the story…once again…of the all-out search that followed for the Rally Cat, and the heated fight over where it should live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s one of the most infamous fan stories in sports history: when Eagles fans booed Santa at halftime of a game played at Franklin Field. But who was the Santa in question - and why was he booed and pelted with snowballs? As our annual ESPN Daily Christmas tradition, we re-air this episode featuring Outside the Lines’ Jeremy Schaap and Mina Kimes, and their reflection on the enduring legacy of the Philadelphia Santa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports leagues, media outlets and more used to look down on betting as corrupting the supposed purity of athletics. But in 2018 the Supreme Court dealt a new hand, allowing all states to legalize betting. Now gambling is a fast-growing part of mainstream sports. Betting lines on games appear on ESPN’s own news ticker. Sports books are opening everywhere and phone-based apps keep evolving. But Las Vegas is still the nerve center of it all, and global sports correspondent Sam Borden takes us inside the Westgate sportsbook to see how the pros who make the odds find their perfect numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Momentum: it’s a concept used by coaches, players, and announcers alike to describe the shift in energy in a game or play. Ask any coach - if your team has the momentum, that’s a good thing. But momentum has its fair share of doubters. What exactly is momentum? Is it measurable? Or do you just know it when you see it? David Hale is a momentum skeptic, and decided to embark on a personal quest to separate fact from fiction regarding the most overused word in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storming the field: it’s a time-honored sports tradition where players, coaches, and fans in the stands descend upon the field after a victory. This year we’ve seen it in record numbers in college football, spawning countless Instagram posts and fuming turf managers. So, why are we seeing it happen so much more, and what’s the larger impact? ESPN’s Dave Wilson takes us inside this misunderstood ritual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports leagues around the world have seen a surge of positive coronavirus tests, leading to postponed games and hollowed out rosters. But we are a long way from March 2020, on several levels. With vaccines, boosters and rapid tests, leagues are rewriting their policies and taking concerted action to curb the spread of the omicron variant. ESPN’s Stephania Bell lays out impacts and changes in the NFL and other leagues. Then Dr. Joseph Allen, author of the book “Healthy Buildings” and public health expert at Harvard University, weighs the risks ahead for sports and society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the end, the Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville lasted just 13 games. Meyer was fired with a 2-11 record in Jacksonville, but it was issues off the field that ultimately doomed his tenure with the club. There was the video of woman dancing near his lap that went viral, there were the reports of him calling his assistant coaches “losers,” and then this week, reports surfaced that he kicked and berated former Jags kicker Josh Lambo. Bill Barnwell explains what the firing means for Meyer, Jacksonville, and the rest of the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiger Woods is poised to return to the golf course this weekend at the PNC Championship. It’s been less than a year since his horrific car accident. The highlight of this father-son tournament might just be watching the best golfer of his generation play alongside his son, Charlie Woods. ESPN Senior Golf Analyst and host of “America’s Caddie,” Michael Collins, tells us about the dynamic between Tiger and his son, some striking similarities, and what’s next for the legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It took SEVEN YEARS into Jim Harbaugh’s tenure for the Michigan Wolverines to finally beat their bitter rival, the Ohio State Buckeyes. And with another win over Iowa, the Wolverines are, at last, Big Ten Champions. But the hard work is just beginning, as college football’s giants, Georgia and Alabama, stand between the Wolverines and a CFB title (sorry, Cincinnati). ESPN’s Tom VanHaaran joins the show to discuss the excruciating build up to this monumental moment for Harbaugh and Michigan, and whether “Michigan’s Messiah” can erase seven years of pain with just two more wins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world of NASCAR doesn’t have anyone else like Bubba Wallace. The 28-year-old is the only Black driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series, the highest level of the sport — making Wallace both an athlete and an ambassador, whether he likes it or not. Millions across the country learned his name in 2020 when he emerged as a leading voice for racial justice, successfully lobbying his sport to ban the Confederate flag. But for a name that is familiar to so many, Wallace’s story and journey are not as well-known. Ryan McGee interviewed Wallace for E60’s special, “Fistful of Steel – The Rise of Bubba Wallace,” which airs tonight at 7:30pm ET on ESPN, and McGee joins ESPN Daily to share his insights on an athlete whose life has become a window into the evolution of his sport, and of America itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Formula One’s grand finale on Sunday shocked the world, and ESPN’s Laurence Edmonson was there as Max Verstappen got the title by passing Lewis Hamilton in a controversial final lap. Edmonson joins the show from Abu Dhabi to share the utter soap opera of it all, and where the sport goes from here. Then Alex Smith shares how the Dallas Cowboys earned their role as first in the NFC East after fending off a late Washington Football Team surge, and sets up Monday Night Football’s Rams-Cardinals clash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most prestigious individual award. Its list of winners are a who's who of the most legendary names in the sport’s history: Doak Walker. Roger Staubach. Bo Jackson. Barry Sanders. Charles Woodson. For years, the annual Heisman race debate was the center of the college football season, a topic that drew almost as much attention as rankings and bowl appearances. But in recent years, as the College Football Playoff has become the center of all conversation in the sport, the Heisman’s status seems to have dimmed somewhat. And perhaps no season has seen less anticipation surrounding the trophy than this one. So, with the Heisman ceremony tomorrow night, Ryan McGee answers every question we have about college football’s most famous trophy, and how relevant the award is today. Then, hear why Ryan describes this Sunday’s Formula One grand finale in Abu Dhabi as “the greatest driver versus driver showdown in the history of the sport,” where Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are set to race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFC is anyone’s for the taking at this point in the NFL season. Teams like the 49ers and Washington Football Team are on the fringe, with the Eagles threatening. Further down in the standings, the Falcons and Panthers might be long shots, but their postseason hopes aren’t dead…yet. Bill Barnwell assesses the NFC playoff picture, and shares his insights on how the college football coaching carousel could impact the NFL’s coaching jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Extra, extra, read all about it! Maroons Championship STOLEN! The Pottsville Maroons were one of the greatest early NFL teams, but the league stripped them of their 1925 championship and gave it to the (then) Chicago Cardinals. Thus, a curse was born. Almost a century later, could the stolen championship be behind the Arizona Cardinals’ lack of Super Bowl success? Dave Fleming wrote the book on it, called Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship. He takes us inside the story, and his mission for NFL justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Durant is playing some of the best basketball of his career. He’s leading the league in scoring and has led the Brooklyn Nets to the best record in the Eastern Conference. But his recent success is due largely to something that is practically extinct in the modern NBA: the midrange jump shot. Kirk Goldsberry dissects why it’s made him more exciting to watch than ever. Then, ESPN Daily producer and resident bark-aeologist Erin Vail shares her paw-er ranking of the NHL’s best team dogs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Detroit pride was strong on Sunday: the Lions finally won their first game of the season (their first win in 364 days) thanks to a game-winning touchdown pass from Jared Goff. Meanwhile, Bengals-Chargers was a battle between sophomore quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, where Herbert soared with over 300 yards and three touchdowns, and Burrow slumped with two interceptions. And the Chiefs climbed back up in the very crowded top of the AFC, with their win over the Broncos. Plus, Louis Riddick tells us how Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots can continue their streak of success, headed into Buffalo for a battle of the AFC East vs. the Bills on Monday Night Football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

College football’s championship weekend is here. And after marquee matchups like the SEC title game, between #1 Georgia and #3 Alabama, and #2 Michigan vs. #13 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship, the College Football Playoff committee will decide who is in, and who is out of this year's playoff. But beyond determining this year’s finalists, the committee is also coming off a meeting where they discussed the potential of expanding the playoff. And, in the midst of everything, several big name head coaches made moves to take new roles, like Lincoln Riley to USC and Brian Kelly to LSU. Heather Dinich explains who we could see in the playoff, what changes were discussed, and when a decision on reformatting the CFP could actually happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JJ Redick doesn’t consider himself a “take person” or “talking head.” At least not yet. As a player-turned-analyst who just retired after 15 seasons in the NBA, Redick says he doesn’t miss the game. The newly minted ESPN studio talent joins the show to tell us who’s looking like the best in the league, measure the NBA’s entertainment quotient, and weigh in on the importance of athletes’ mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a wild few days across Major League Baseball, with a flurry of free agents signing massive deals with new teams. Max Scherzer to the Mets. Javy Baez to the Tigers. Corey Seager to the Rangers. But the reason for this flurry of spending is maybe the last thing you’d suspect: a looming labor stoppage. Tonight, at midnight, MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires, meaning owners could begin a lockout that would effectively put a halt on the entire baseball industry until a new deal is struck. Jeff Passan takes us inside the high stakes negotiations between the owners and players, shares what’s at stake for both sides, and brings plenty of Diet Mountain Dew along for the ride. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Badwater ultramarathon is known as the world’s most impossible run. From grueling mountain climbs to scorching, 100+ degree temperatures in the middle of Death Valley, it’s a 135-mile race that only a select group of individuals have ever finished. Enter Kelaine Conochan, who pushed her mind, body, and soul to its limit in pursuit of completing the race in July 2021. She wrote about her Badwater experience for ESPN.com, and shares what she lost - and found - in her 37 hours of running, chafing, chugging flat Coca-Cola, and flat out surviving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The further we get into the NFL season, the more questions we have. But after Week 12, the playoff picture is coming into frame...kind of. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens grinded out a win in a defensive matchup with their major rivals the Cleveland Browns. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers appear to be back in form after thrashing the L.A. Rams, who have suddenly lost three in a row after starting the season 7-1. Bill Belichick’s revenge tour is picking up more steam after the New England Patriots picked up their sixth straight win...and Carson Wentz’s Hail Mary attempt wasn’t enough to beat Tom Brady and the Bucs. Our Monday morning QB Alex Smith tells us what we’ve learned this week...and gives a nod to his former coach, Jim Harbaugh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When arguably the world’s most popular athlete, Cristiano Ronaldo, took the pitch for arguably the world’s most popular soccer club, Manchester United, two truly global sports brands were reunited on the legendary pitch at Old Trafford. Months earlier the same iconic stadium was literally stormed by Man United supporters fighting against the globalization of the sport they love. Wright Thompson was there for Ronaldo’s return to the team, and explains why emotions and identities around this team run so deep, in a re-spin of one of our favorite episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When an unknown 25-year-old named John Daly showed up at the 1991 PGA Championship literally the night before - as the ninth alternate - he pulled off biggest upset in golf history and became an instant icon. That was 30 years ago. What’s less well known, but no less significant, is the story of another man who attended that tournament. During the first round, Tom Weaver, a spectator and father of two, was struck in the chest by lightning and died at the scene. ESPN’s Bob Harig shares the story of Tom Weaver, and the gift the Daly sent his family afterwards, that lives on to this day, as we re-spin this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanksgiving weekend is all about one thing: the sports. From the NFL to the NHL to the National Dog Show and beyond, it’s a weekend to stuff yourself silly with on-the-field action. Emily Kaplan and Domonique Foxworth have examined the full smorgasbord of athletic options, and offer up a guide to maximize your sports gluttony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is having his best season yet, having already netted a pair of viral highlight goals that have broken the internet. But looking beyond the mind blowing moves and hockey accolades and comparisons to Edmonton’s last Great One, who is Connor McDavid? Emily Kaplan asks John Buccigross to give us Connor McDavid 101, and tells us why this might finally be the year the hockey megastar brings the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is a three-time Olympian and former number one in the world for women’s doubles. Earlier this month she accused a powerful Chinese political figure of sexual assault, and then was not seen or heard from for weeks. This past weekend the public saw and heard Peng via a video clip of a Chinese tennis competition, and a video call between her and sports officials, including IOC President Thomas Bach. ESPN’s Dan Murphy shares the latest, and why big questions remain about Peng’s safety. Then, we call up our Monday Morning QB Alex Smith to recap the NFL action in Week 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, if you were an NBA 7-footer you played center, in the paint, with your back to the basket. But over the past decade, the NBA has been invaded by a new type of big man…one who is increasingly rendering the entire concept of “positions” obsolete. Players like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can play like guards on offense, and match up with anyone on the floor on defense. And now, a new generation is emerging, with the Cavaliers rookie standout Evan Mobley, and likely lottery pick Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz breaks down just when this trend of alien big men began, what makes them so valuable, and the alien prospect that NBA teams are already clamoring to draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Patriots face the Falcons tonight, after their fourth consecutive win on Sunday, and Mac Jones is playing at a level that is making the rest of us look silly for doubting him. Bill Belichick’s team enters the second half of the season hot on the tails of a playoff spot, so Louis Riddick explains what we all missed with Jones at draft time, and how The Patriot Way is leading to success yet again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the most important piece of gear for a basketball player: the shoes. And one of the most popular, iconic basketball shoes, Kobes, are no longer being mass produced by Nike. So what’s an NBA player to do once his favorite shoe stops being made? Brian Windhorst takes us inside the wild secondary market that’s developed, and tells us why the shoe is so coveted, especially if you’re a size 17. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dead money: it’s the money a college or university still owes a coach after they’re fired. And over the past decade, there has been more than half a billion dollars worth of it paid out in college sports. But where does that money come from, and which schools are the biggest offenders? ESPN investigative reporter Paula Lavigne looked into the outsized spending of dead money across college programs, and explains what’s behind it. Hear the findings from Lavigne’s and Mark Schlabach’s reporting on buyouts for coaches in college football, and men's and women's basketball Power 5 programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL continues to redefine our sense of normalcy from week to week, and our Monday morning QB Alex Smith is here to ground us. The Chiefs took sole possession of first place in the wild AFC West. Elsewhere, Russell Wilson couldn’t shake off the rust in his return with the Seahawks, as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers gave Seattle its first shutout in a decade. And every football fan’s nightmare is coming true, as the New England Patriots won their fourth straight, with rookie QB Mac Jones delivering a signature win over the Cleveland Browns. Plus, the first tie of the season between the Steelers and Lions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Warriors all but disappeared from any conversation about a title, after losing the 2019 NBA Finals. But ESPN’s Nick Friedell assures us the Warriors are back, with star point guard Steph Curry and former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green bringing their unique synergy. Friedell tells us how coach Steve Kerr is experimenting with lineups this season, how the rebuilding of the program is altering the Warriors’ place in a crowded Western Conference, and what the revamped team could look like once Klay Thompson returns. Plus, ahead of Friday's World Cup qualifying match, Sam Borden discusses the cherished USMNT vs. Mexico rivalry that is set to change forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Presbyterian college football head coach Kevin Kelley never punts. It’s a philosophy that brought him major success at the high school level in Arkansas, where his unconventional thinking resulted in nine state titles in 18 seasons, and an innovation award presented to him by Robert DeNiro. But Kelley’s leap from high school to college landscape has been met with its fair share of criticism. Hear Ryan McGee discuss why, after a 72-0 loss that shook the NCAA’s smallest Division I program, Kelley continues to search for angles and advantages that work in favor of a program that admittedly has nothing to lose. Then, Paolo Uggetti shares his report on San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, a left-legged kicking phenomenon who booms punts, nails field goals, and crushes kickoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An ESPN investigation, featuring interviews with more than 70 current and former Phoenix Suns employees, reveals accusations of racism and misogyny against Suns owner Robert Sarver -- and a toxic workplace many employees believe was emboldened by his behavior. The allegations range from racially insensitive and lewd language to conduct some employees felt was inappropriate and misogynistic. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes shares his reporting on this story, the NBA’s response, and what happens from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021 college basketball season tips off tonight and so much has changed since Baylor was crowned the national champion. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf breaks down the top seeded teams, including what it’ll take for Gonzaga to rebound from last year’s heartbreak. Plus, there’s Duke’s legendary Coach K beginning his farewell tour, and coaches getting used to how the transfer portal - along with name, image and likeness rules - are truly changing the game. We have all you need to get ready for the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Jordan Love’s disappointing debut as Green Bay Packers QB1 to the L.A. Rams getting dominated by the Tennessee Titans at home on Sunday night, the NFL saw more than its fair share of big upsets and strange moments in Week 9. So we bring our own starting QB, Alex Smith to discuss. Plus, how Aaron Rodgers’ vaccination status loomed over the weekend...and what we think of the ManningCast curse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Bonds’ baseball achievements are staggering: from home run records to MVP awards to Gold Gloves to mind-boggling slugging and on-base percentages, the numbers place him squarely among the game’s all-time greats. But Bonds’ successes have been tarnished by what is known about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. For the last nine years, Bonds has been eligible for enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame and each year, when the ballots are tallied, has come up short. Now he is in his final year on the writers’ ballot, making the issue of his worthiness for selection more urgent than ever before. Jeremy Schaap joins the show to ruminate on Bonds’ career: the stupendous feats of his youth; his relationship with managers, teammates and the media; his late-career performance surge; and the steroids controversy, all of which is chronicled in the new E60 special BONDS, which Schaap hosts this Sunday at 9:30 pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a head spinning week in the NFL. On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tested positive for covid, and will not play in Sunday’s marquee matchup vs. the Chiefs. Rodgers previously told the media and his team that he was “immunized,” and has undergone other treatments that did not include the vaccine. So QB Jordan Love will see his first NFL start against a Chiefs team that seems beleaguered by turnovers and bad defense. Elsewhere, Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. may be coming to the end of his career in Cleveland, after his father Odell Beckham Sr. posted a video on social media blaming QB Baker Mayfield for Beckham’s poor performance. And, the New Orleans Saints are dealing with two massive injuries to QB Jameis Winston and WR Michael Thomas. Bill Barnwell takes us through all of these NFL storylines and more at the halfway point of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Atlanta Braves are World Champions! So Tim Keown joins us from Houston, where he takes us through how the Braves got here. Then, when the Brooklyn Nets host the Atlanta Hawks tonight, two of the most divisive players of the modern NBA will face off. James Harden and Trae Young are two of the best players in the league, thanks in part to their skill with the dark arts of drawing fouls. But this offseason, the NBA decided to crack down on offensive players engaging in so-called “foul hunting” and the results are being felt across the league. Brian Windhorst explains why many think the new rules are changing the game for good, even if not everyone is happy about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When pro hockey player Kyle Beach reported his sexual assault by a Chicago Blackhawks video coach in 2010, the team failed to act. Beach filed a lawsuit against the team as “John Doe” and a 100-plus page report on his experience, as well as the team’s handling of the incident, has led to resignations from team leaders who were involved. Emily Kaplan tells us how the Blackhawks and the National Hockey League failed one of their own by covering up abuse, and what happens next as the truth is told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Halloween fell on the eighth Sunday of this NFL season, and it belonged to backup QBs. Cooper Rush put on his Dak Prescott costume and led the Dallas Cowboys to a last minute game winning TD. The Saints’ Trevor Siemian stepped in for the injured Jameis Winston and defeated Tom Brady, and Mike White performed arguably the most unlikely feat of the day, in breathing life into the Jets’ fan base by leading them to an upset win over the Bengals. ESPN Daily’s QB-1 Alex Smith breaks down how a bunch of backups managed to trick everyone on a very strange day of football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might know about Freddie Freeman, first baseman for the Atlanta Braves, who you’ll see take the field tonight in Game Three of the World Series vs. the Houston Astros. Freeman’s also the Gold Glover and four time All-Star...who battled back from covid to win NL MVP last year. But the Freddie Freeman you don’t know is even more remarkable. In a re-air of our episode from April, Buster Olney takes us inside the E:60 documentary Full Circle: The Freddie Freeman Story, and presents an exclusive and emotional portrait of one of the game’s best players. Freeman opens up as never before about the loss of loved ones, as well as the struggles he and his wife have endured in starting a family of their own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Olson is a quiet, Midwestern father of three, living an ordinary life. That is until one day this summer, when doing some home renovation, he discovered some bowling balls buried under the steps leading to his backyard. And not just two, or three, or 10 or 20 bowling balls. In total, Olson uncovered a whopping 162 bowling balls from his property, and ended up going viral with his story. Where the balls had come from? How did they end up at Olson’s house? Ryan Hockensmith explains this stranger-than-fiction story of man’s unexpected discovery…and the unexpected way in which it ultimately transformed his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Play Like a Champion Today.” It’s one of the most iconic phrases in sports, and it’s long been synonymous with Notre Dame. Over the years, legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has told the story of the team’s famous sign, and the traditional pregame slap that’s performed as they take the field. Holtz put up the sign, yes. But where did he get the idea? Another powerhouse college program has some thoughts which dispute Holtz’s claims. ESPN’s Dave Wilson tells us who might - or might not - deserve credit for one of the sports world’s most famous sentences. Then, listeners and friends of ESPN Daily share their sports superstitions with us, ahead of Halloween. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep in the heart of Texas we find Jeff Passan, as the Houston Astros host Game 1 of the World Series tonight against the Atlanta Braves. For the Astros, it’s a chance for some vindication, after being baseball’s public enemy number one for their sign stealing scheme in 2017. For the Braves, it’s a chance to win their first World Series in a quarter century, and cap a stunning postseason run for a team that had the worst regular season record of any in the playoffs. Jeff Passan is in Houston, and breaks down everything you need to know for the Fall Classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jared Goff returned to his former team at SoFi Stadium as a member of the Detroit Lions on Sunday, after the QB’s new coach made critical remarks about his performance, with the Rams’ Matt Stafford facing his old Lions teammates. Our own Monday Quarterback Alex Smith breaks down that ex’s matchup and more. Smith and guest host Emily Kaplan talk the Kansas City Chiefs’ blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans, plus Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ upset victory over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. And our Week 7 spin around includes tribute to National Tight Ends Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intense arguments that give way laughter: it's a feature on the set of Pardon The Interruption. In this fourth and final installment of the PTI podcast series, we look at how Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon can tick each other off and bring out the best in the other. Because behind the yelling, there is always love and respect. Their contrasting thoughts and behaviors have sparked important conversations that transcend sports. Hear journalists, sportscasters and a longtime appreciator of the show, Barack Obama, reflect on the enduring impact of PTI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Voulgaris turned his career as a professional, data-driven NBA bettor into a team job when Mark Cuban made him Director of Quantitative Research and Analysis for the Dallas Mavericks. But tension built between Voulgaris and then-GM Donnie Nelson, and relationships with players got muddy. Reports in The Athletic this year claimed the former bettor was running the show behind the scenes in Dallas, and today the GM, coach and Voulgaris are no longer with the team. Now, Voulgaris sits down for his first interview since he left the Mavs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turf toe. It’s a known injury in football. But behind the cutesy name lies an injury NFL players dread more than any other, involving a teeny tiny bone in the foot. Turf toe can be incredibly painful and long lasting, with no real remedy for players other than time. And it can lead to permanent damage, if not properly healed. ESPN Senior Writer Dave Fleming takes us inside his cabinet of sports curiosities, with terrible tales of turf toe from around the NFL. Then, Pablo shares an update on the Ben Simmons saga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the people of Philadelphia, and of the basketball world, the relationship between Ben Simmons and the 76ers was broken the moment he passed up a dunk in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs against the Hawks. After the game, head coach Doc Rivers and star Joel Embiid appeared to point the finger at Simmons in their press conference, and it seemed all but certain that Simmons’ days in Philly were numbered. Since that game, Simmons has made it known that he wants to be traded, at first refusing to report for training camp. But the 76ers have been unable to find a willing trade partner. Now, as the NBA season tips off today, Simmons is still a 76er…albeit not a happy one. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne digs deep into the NBA's messiest, longest divorce, and why the secret to understanding it begins well before that infamous Game 7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a wild Sunday across sports…from the Cowboys and Patriots overtime thriller…to the Chicago Sky claiming their first ever WNBA title. Across the NFL, it was a week that featured no shortage of close games and marquee matchups. The Steelers held off a second-half rally from the Seattle Seahawks with a game-winning overtime field goal. Dak Prescott and Mac Jones battled back-and-forth until the Cowboys walked it off in their own OT game to extend their winning streak to five. The Ravens and Chargers met in an AFC showdown, but Baltimore blew out LA with another master class from Lamar Jackson. And the Kliff Kingsbury-less Cardinals pulled off yet another statement win over Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Our Monday morning quarterback Alex Smith brings us his reactions from Sunday’s slate of NFL action. Then, LaChina Robinson checks in from Chicago, where the city is celebrating its first professional basketball championship since the days of Michael Jordan, as the Chicago Sky came back from a double digit deficit in the fourth against the Phoenix Mercury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the beginning of PTI, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon created a whole new world in the realm of sports talk television. But this didn’t happen without the help of notable athletes, coaches, and sportscasters joining them on set. Hear why sports figures loved joining the guys to tell them their best stories for segments like "Five Good Minutes." And the PTI team reminisces about how a casual trip to the White House led to meeting an unexpected fan in the Oval Office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new NBA season tips off this Tuesday, and the pool of contenders for the championship is deeper than it’s been in years. The consensus favorites just months ago were the Brooklyn Nets, but with Kyrie Irving potentially being unable to play due to vaccination requirements, the Eastern Conference is far from assured. Can the Bucks repeat their stunning run of a season ago? Will the 76ers be able to move past their own Ben Simmons drama and finally fulfill the process prophecy? In the Western Conference, can the Lakers find a way to make it work with Westbrook and Carmelo joining LeBron and A.D.? Will the Suns bounce back from their heartbreaking defeat in the Finals? Zach Lowe gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for a wide-open NBA season. Then, with the WNBA Finals now tied 1-1, LaChina Robinson previews game 3 between the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Columbus Blue Jackets open their season this evening, they will be missing one of their own. Over the summer, Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was struck and killed by fireworks at a 4th of July celebration in Michigan. It was a tragedy that hit especially hard for Kivlenieks’ friend and teammate, fellow netminder Elvis Merzlikins. The two goaltenders shared more than just their position: they were among just a handful of NHL players from the tiny nation of Latvia. Merzlikins even invited Kivlenieks to live with him and his wife in Columbus. Emily Kaplan joins the show to share the story of their friendship, the tragedy that took one far too young, and how the Blue Jackets plan to honor their fallen teammate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last Friday, a 2011 email from Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden containing racist language surfaced in reporting by the Wall Street Journal. Gruden apologized in his postgame press conference following the Raiders loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. But by Monday, additional reporting uncovered many more of Gruden’s emails containing sexist, racist, and homophobic remarks, sent in correspondence to various NFL higher-ups and decision makers. Gruden resigned as head coach within the hour. ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez joins us to discuss the Raiders reaction to Gruden’s comments, where the team goes from here, and the ripple effects around the NFL. Then, former Washington Football Team employee Emily Applegate shares her perspective on the NFL’s investigation into Washington’s toxic culture: the league's investigation is what led to Gruden’s emails being revealed, some which were messages to then Washington executive Bruce Allen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021-22 National Hockey League season gets going tonight, back on ESPN after 16 years. Our Greg Wyshynski shares what's at stake for hockey’s biggest stars, what we’ll see from defending champs the Tampa Bay Lightning, and expectations for the league's newest team, the Seattle Kraken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an hour plus rain delay in Kansas City, Josh Allen and the Bills delivered a statement win and literally hurdled past the Chiefs. Across the AFC, the Chargers and the Browns put up a combined eighty nine points, as Justin Herbert led the Chargers to a thrilling comeback win. Elsewhere, NFL kickers had a terrible, no good, very bad Sunday. In addition to a number of missed extra points, the end of the Packers-Bengals game saw five (!) missed field goals, before Mason Crosby nailed the game winner in overtime. Alex Smith takes us inside the film room and surveys all the action from the field. Then, Louis Riddick returns to preview Monday Night Football’s matchup from Baltimore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon made first impressions at The Washington Post that went on to influence two decades of television, and counting. In the early years of PTI they created a world within the show. That included “Stat Boy” Tony Reali to correct them, a cast of singular journalists who joined them on set, and legendary pranks that were so convincing they rocked the sports world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former National Women’s Soccer League players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim went public last week with accusations against coach Paul Riley of sexual coercion and harassment, in an investigative report from The Athletic. Teams cancelled games, the league commissioner stepped down, and players re-took the field with demands for reform. Reporter Caitlin Murray has covered women’s pro soccer since the NWSL started in 2012. She gives the history and impact of this reckoning across the league, and where it goes from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Houston Astros host the Chicago White Sox this afternoon in Game 1 of the ALDS, they will remain, to many, as one thing: the most hated team in baseball. It’s a stigma the Astros have carried for the past two seasons, ever since the cheating scandal from their 2017 World Series run came to light. But at the same time, the Astros have had a spectacular run of success. They’ve won their division title in four of the last five seasons, and have made the ALCS the past four seasons. This year, they finished with the second best record in the American League. The team’s success has made Astros players defiant in the face of the public backlash. It’s also made them intent on winning another World Series, hoping to rewrite their legacy as something more than just “the team that cheated.” Alden Gonzalez spent time with the Astros, and shares his reporting on their search for vindication in the eyes of the baseball world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brooklyn Nets held their first practice at home in New York Tuesday and there was one notable absence: Kyrie Irving. The seven-time All-Star had been with the team last week as they held training camp in San Diego. But in New York City, where proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required for indoor activities, Kyrie has been absent. It’s a situation that could potentially force Irving to miss every Nets home game, and cost him millions of dollars in the process. The dilemma speaks to the challenges the NBA is facing as it tries to adhere to a patchwork of regulations across the country, while also respecting the small number of players wary of the vaccine. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst lays out how Kyrie’s standoff got to this point, why the Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins relented and ultimately got vaccinated, and explains the dilemma faced by the NBA, as it attempts to persuade vaccine hesitant players to get the shot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MLB playoffs begin tonight with the Yankees visiting the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card game. Jeff Passan returns to tell us what we should be keeping an eye on at Fenway, and what the Dodgers vs. Cardinals matchup could bring on Wednesday. Then, Jeremy Schaap shares his story of attending a crucial Yankees vs. Red Sox game over 40 years ago...when Bucky bleeping Dent hit the home run which gave the Yankees the lead tha they never relinquished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in Foxborough to play his old team and his old coach, Tom Brady became the NFL’s all-time leading passer as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eeked out a win after a missed field goal by the Patriots. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals established themselves with a 37-20 thrashing of the Rams in LA, while the Cowboys’ hot start continued with a win over the previously undefeated Panthers … AND the Jets got their first win of the season! Alex Smith takes us inside the huddle and breaks down what we saw in Week 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the show PTI, you love the show PTI. But how did it all start? Twenty years into “Pardon the Interruption,” co-hosts Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon and a cast of media luminaries share the tale of the duo's meeting at The Washington Post. Hear how the dynamic in the legendary newsroom unexpectedly set them up for success with the show. Kornheiser and Wilbon reflect on their reluctant beginnings in television. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first three weeks of the NFL season, the 2021 rookie quarterback class has...struggled. Bears QB Justin Fields was sacked nine times on Sunday, Jaguars’ playcaller Trevor Lawrence has been turning over the ball under pressure, and Zach Wilson hasn’t been set up to succeed by the Jets. Bill Barnwell assesses what’s gone wrong for the rookie QBs so far, and whether we’ll see improvement. Then: Pablo asks for your help! It’s October, so in the spirit of the season we’re asking you to share your sports superstitions...and you might just hear them on the show. Leave us a message at 424-438-0717. Tell us about your weird, wacky sports stories of ghosts, curses, rituals and the supernatural. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baseball is supposed to be romantic, right? America’s pastime is predicated on tradition, hard work, and luck in getting to the show of MLB. But making it to the big leagues has become harder than ever. Minor leaguers today face pay that puts them below the poverty line, grueling schedules, and little support for the mental health and other problems that can arise from that. Joon Lee brings us a deep dive into the world of the minor leagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might be the most hyped regular season game in NFL history, as Tom Brady returns to New England on Sunday night to face his old mentor, Bill Belichick. For 20 years, the relationship between Brady and Belichick, along with owner Robert Kraft, was the foundation of the Patriots dynasty. And no one has covered Patriots dynasty, and divorce, like Seth Wickersham, whose new book “It’s Better To Be Feared” is the culmination of two decades of provocative reporting on that singular football partnership. Wickersham joins the show to share new details about the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen, and why, despite winning six Super Bowls together, all of it had to end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than a week remaining in baseball’s regular season, chaos is upon us. The once-dead Yankees have surged atop the AL Wild Card hunt, where five teams are chasing two playoff spots. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have won 16 straight to all but secure their spot in the postseason, where they’ll face whichever of the Giants and Dodgers don’t win the NL West. Jeff Passan stops by to break it all down. Then, Pablo shares a preview of the upcoming “Pardon the Interruption” 20th anniversary documentary and podcast series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the end, 37 seconds was too much time. That’s all it took for Aaron Rodgers to orchestrate a thrilling last minute drive to set up the Packers’ game winning field goal over the 49ers. And that wasn’t the only last second drama across the NFL’s Week 3. Baltimore’s Justin Tucker nailed a 66-yard game winning field goal, the longest in league history to beat the Lions in Detroit. Elsewhere, Matthew Stafford and the Rams took down Tom Brady and the Bucs, and Justin Herbert and the Chargers upset Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Former NFL QB Alex Smith takes us inside the huddle and brings us his insights on Sunday’s football action. Then, Louis Riddick previews Monday Night Football’s NFC East showdown between the Eagles and Cowboys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall is finally here, and your autumnal Saturday agenda might be packed with trips to pumpkin patches and apple picking...or....it could be spent watching wall-to-wall college football. We know what gentleman and SEC scholar Spencer Hall will be doing. Today, Spencer joins the show to dissect last week’s Florida-Alabama heartbreaker, and whether the Crimson Tide are (ever) vulnerable. Then, we take a spin around the Big 10, and Spencer unveils some of his favorite name, image, and likeness deals, from scented candles to Arby’s (yes, really). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The WNBA playoffs tip off tonight, with a pair of win-or-go-home games. The New York Liberty and Sabrina Ionescu, who squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed, are looking to shock the world by knocking off Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. The Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky also have a first round date, which if they advance...could see them face last year’s champs, the Seattle Storm, in the second round. But with Breanna Stewart, the MVP from the 2020 finals nursing an ankle injury, the Storm are no longer favorites to repeat. Instead, the Las Vegas Aces and the Connecticut Sun have claimed the top seeds and are guaranteed semifinal berths. LaChina Robinson brings us her insights on the playoff field, and shares where she hopes the league will go in its next 25 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cats are making cameos all over sports right now, from a stray at Yankee Stadium to a dangling feline in Miami. But ESPN’s Liz Merrill has the original wild and twisting tale of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Rally Cat. When the kitten crawled onto the field during the bottom of the sixth in a 2017 game against the Kansas City Royals, Yadier Molina proceeded to hit a go-ahead grand slam on the very next pitch. Hear the story of the all-out search that followed for the Rally Cat, and the heated fight over where it should live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any runner would say the best advice in a race is to look forward. But what if you had to keep looking over your shoulder? Olympic runner Emily Infeld’s career as an elite athlete slowed down when a stalker invaded her life. ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne shares her investigation of the three years Infeld has lived in fear and fought for justice and peace, while facing many systemic failures along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This second Sunday of the NFL season was full of absolutely great plays, and gave us a lot of telling looks at quarterbacks, including backups stepping in due to injury. Baltimore got a dazzling win over the Chiefs, as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson met up for the fourth time since Jackson entered the league on Sunday Night Football. We picked the best moments and give you tailored insights from NFL veteran QB Alex Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When arguably the world’s most popular athlete, Cristiano Ronaldo, took the pitch this past weekend for arguably the world’s most popular soccer club, Manchester United, two truly global sports brands were reunited on the legendary pitch at Old Trafford. The same iconic stadium, that months earlier, was literally stormed by Man United supporters who were fighting against the globalization of the sport they love. Wright Thompson, who was there for Ronaldo’s return to the team he played for more than a decade ago, takes us inside the fight for the soul of Manchester United, and explains why it’s a battle that’s about much more than just a soccer club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Raiders’ first win in Las Vegas with fans was a homecoming two years in the making. The show paid homage to the Silver and Black’s roots in Oakland and Los Angeles, while the game itself was such a frenzy that the Raiders seemed to win twice (?!) in overtime. Paul Gutierrez joins us from Sin City after its first Monday Night Football hangover, and tells us how Jon Gruden’s team can build on their success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the midst of a season unlike any his family has ever seen, and that’s saying a lot. Vlady just hit more single-season home runs with the Toronto Blue Jays than his all-star father, Canada baseball hero Vlad Sr., ever did. Now Vlad Jr. has the Triple Crown in his sights. Plus he’s led his Blue Jays to the cusp of the postseason, as they return to Toronto after Covid exile in Buffalo, New York. Devin Gordon tells us how Vlady went from Canada’s golden son to quietly becoming his own legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Once Upon a Time in Queens,” the newest film from 30 for 30, chronicles the 1986 New York Mets: a team stacked with perhaps more larger-than-life characters than any other in baseball history. From Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden to Lenny Dykstra and Keith Hernandez, it was a team that worked hard and played harder - and a team that mirrored the dangerous and exciting aura of New York in the 1980’s. Director Nick Davis takes us behind-the-scenes of the film, and shares how the ‘86 Mets became the definitive New York baseball team of the era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NFL players turned analysts Alex Smith, Louis Riddick and Domonique Foxworth join Pablo to break down the first games of the season. First, WFT former QB Alex Smith shares what it’s like weighing in on games instead of playing them, and highlights from early in the day. Then, Bears vs. Rams and the afternoon games with Domonique Foxworth. Plus, Monday Night Football’s Louis Riddick tells us what to watch for from Vegas as the Raiders take on the Ravens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tomorrow, Robert Saleh begins his tenure in possibly the most challenging job in football...head coach of the New York Jets. The former 49ers Defensive Coordinator has already drawn praise from players and analysts alike, who think he may just be the guy who can turn around the long struggling franchise. Saleh’s path to the Jets sideline has been as unusual as it is groundbreaking. Jets reporter Rich Cimini brings us the story of how, September 11th, 2001 changed Saleh’s life forever, and set him on a course to become the first Muslim head coach in NFL history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Simmons wants out of Philadelphia, and seems like the 76ers have had enough of him as well. The relationship between the former first overall pick and Philly has bent to a likely breaking point since the team exited last season’s NBA playoffs. Simmons’ disappointing performance drew sharp criticism from star teammate Joel Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers. Brian Windhorst explains what happens now that Simmons and the Sixers have gone sour, possible landing spots for him, and what the saga shows about power in the NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones displayed rare humility when he compared his team’s opening night matchup against the defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers as “David vs. Goliath.” And while after a quarter century of mediocrity, the Cowboys may indeed be David on the field, off the field, they still remain the NFL’s Goliath. They are worth almost $7 billion according to Sportico, which puts them atop the list of most valuable franchises in sports despite not winning a Super Bowl since 1996. Tim Cowlishaw has covered the Cowboys since 1989, so he explains why they continue to be America’s Team...and if a return to glory is at hand. Then, Leylah Fernandez makes history at the US Open. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL is back after surviving a gauntlet of a 2020 season. As Tom Brady aims to defend his title in Tampa, Bill Belichick seems to have found his heir apparent in QB Mac Jones, at the expense of Cam Newton. Several more rookie quarterbacks prepare to take the field in Week 1, while others wait. And with the Delta variant running rampant, teams are doing all they can to control the chaos. Mina Kimes is about to head into ESPN’s NFL war room, so before she goes we get her league season preview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American politicians cannot stop talking about young transgender athletes. Eight states now have laws or policies on the books restricting transgender athletes' access to youth sports, with seven states enacting them in 2021 alone. And nearly three dozen states have introduced similar bills. As a new school year begins and youth sports regain a foothold after pandemic precautions, these proposals have transgender kids stuck in the middle of the ongoing and often ugly battle over science and assumption, sex and gender identity, politics and policy. Katie Barnes covers transgender issues for ESPN and joins the show to explain the contours of the debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia's mother, Dr. Kate Karikó, has seen her lifelong work come to fruition in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Karikó’s dedication to her research amidst adversity inspired her daughter, who became an elite rower and Olympian. In a re-air of one our favorite episodes, ESPN’s Julie Foudy takes us through the story of Dr. Karikó’s perseverance, her mRNA breakthroughs behind the vaccine, and the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the E:60 feature “What We’re Made Of.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s massive 14-year, 340 million dollar deal with the Padres shattered MLB records. But it’s actually not the most important signing of the Padres this offseason. That belongs to Matt LaChappa, who signed with the team again in February, just as he has every year for more than a quarter-century. It’s a baseball story unlike any other: LaChappa is the longest tenured player in Padres history, despite never playing in a major league game. In 1996, LaChappa was a pitcher with San Diego’s minor league affiliate, when he suffered a heart attack while warming up in the bullpen. LaChappa survived, was left permanently disabled and in need of round-the-clock and costly medical care. Ever since, every offseason, the Padres have honored their commitment to Matt and his family by signing him a basic minor league contract, allowing Matt to remain on the team’s health insurance. In a sport where money and loyalty between players and clubs are constantly put to the test, Chris Connelly joins the show to tell a very different kind of baseball story, in a re-spin of one of our favorite episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10 years ago, the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins, in Vancouver. Canucks fans didn’t exactly hide their frustrations, as a riot engulfed the city. Now, a decade later, arguably the most enduring image of that night was a photo of a couple, kissing on the ground, surrounded by police in riot gear. In a re-spin of one of our favorite episodes, Greg Wyshynski caught up with the couple, and the photographer, and joins the show to share how that iconic image endures to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a heist story straight out of Hollywood, about a thief who would make Danny Ocean proud. Who is this criminal mastermind, who stole the New York Giants’ Super Bowl rings? Meet Sean Murphy: a die-hard Patriots fan, owner of a moving company, and a self-described master thief. He, like many Pats fans, watched in agony as the New York Giants pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history in 2008. A few months later, Murphy was researching local jewelers for a potential target when he came across E.A. Dion, a family-owned business…who also happened to be making the Giants’ Super Bowl rings. From there, a super-sized heist was put into motion. ESPN correspondent Sam Borden joins us in a re-spin of one of our favorite episodes to take a look back at how Murphy pulled off the steal...and how he got caught. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the winningest team in high school football hired the most controversial coach in high school football, heads turned all over the state of Georgia. What ensued was a 15-month saga of small-town, big time football that ended up dividing an entire town. In a re-air of one of our favorite episodes, Mark Schlabach brings us a story of funny money, a secret recording, and the unraveling of a powerhouse high school football program in Valdosta, Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty years ago, when Earnhardt died in an accident on the final lap of Daytona in 2001, the tragedy prompted a change in NASCAR that many thought was long overdue. The sport took up safety standards and equipment designed to prevent the type of injury that killed Earnhardt. There may not be a bigger example of how far the sport has come than 2020’s Daytona 500, when Ryan Newman’s car flipped and landed upside down in a fiery collision during the final lap. Many first believed that Newman had died, but he walked out of the hospital two days later, largely due to the additional safety measures put in place in the wake of Earnhardt’s death. ESPN’s Ryan McGee shares how Earnhardt’s death changed NASCAR forever, also told in the ESPN film “Intimidator.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the college football season starts, the PAC-12, ACC, and Big Ten announced a new alliance. The purpose of the teamup is unclear...but no doubt is influenced by power and money, and the looming specter of the Southeastern Conference in the college football sphere. EPN’s Paul Finebaum walks us through the implications of the changes off the field, and who might dominate on the field. Then, former NBA champion J.R. Smith is now a member of the North Carolina A&T State golf team, so current student East L. Dockery shares reporting on Smith’s next act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of trading cards, one company’s loomed large: Topps. But this week a company known for sports apparel, Fanatics, outbid Topps for the right to make cards with Major League Baseball. It also made deals with the NBA and NFL, and this major shakeup in sports memorabilia is worth billions of dollars. Dan Hajducky covers collectibles for ESPN. He shares his reporting on the Fanatics coup, plus the Honus Wagner card that sold for $6.6 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Los Angeles Rams traded for Matthew Stafford this offseason, they delivered one of the NFL’s biggest arms to one of its biggest brains: head coach Sean McVay. Over a dozen years in Detroit, Stafford put up big individual numbers, but the Lions’ lackluster talent meant that his ability was often squandered on teams that had no real chance at contending for a Super Bowl. That is no longer the case, as Stafford, McVay, and the rest of the Rams franchise know that nothing less than the Lombardi Trophy will be considered a success: it’s Super Bowl or bust in LA. Today, Seth Wickersham takes us behind the scenes of how the Stafford trade went down, what it all says about quarterbacks in the modern era, and how Cabo, apparently, is the nexus of power in the NFL. Then, Pablo shares his ode to the creepiest college mascot in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 7th, 2006, Bryan Pata, a defensive lineman for the University of Miami Hurricanes, was shot and killed when he returned home after football practice. He was just 22 years old. For nearly 15 years, no one was arrested in connection with Pata’s killing. That changed last week, with the stunning arrest of Pata’s former Miami teammate, Rashaun Jones. Today, we revisit our conversation from November with investigative reporter Paula Lavigne, who was part of ESPN’s multi-year probe into Pata’s killing that pointed out missteps in the long stalled police inquiry. Then, we discuss what led to the stunning arrest last week...and where the case might go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson is the subject of several investigations and 22 civil lawsuits. Allegations from many women range from inappropriate conduct to sexual assault. The FBI is also looking into the case, and the NFL’s own investigation on Watson has come under scrutiny. ESPN’s Sarah Barshop brings us the latest on the plaintiffs and the defense, plus how Watson’s presence is shaping the Texans’ preseason. Then, Pablo shares how runner Elaine Thompson-Herah almost became the fastest woman in the world...and beat Sha’Carri Richardson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few, if any, boxers in history with the resume of Manny Pacquiao. Inside the ring, he has won twelve major titles across EIGHT different weight classes. Outside the ring, he has been elected first, to the House of Representatives, and later, to the Senate back home in the Philippines. And now, Pacquiao appears to be gearing up to run for president of the Philippines. It’s a move that would put him in direct conflict with the current president Rodrigo Duterte, a leader whose autocratic tendencies suggest he is not afraid to fight dirty...and have left some in Pacquiao’s camp concerned for Manny’s safety, as well as their own. With Pacquiao taking the ring tomorrow night, perhaps the final time in his storied career, Tim Keown joins the show to discuss how Pacquaio’s latest fight, the fight for the highest office in the Philippines, will be his most challenging yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Little League World Series returns to action in Williamsport, PA today. While it won’t be the truly global event it usually is, kids will still play their hearts out in the games. ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian will be there, and he tells guest host Emily Kaplan what makes this event so magical, and what to watch for as the games begin. Then, a look at the female athletes affected by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s rare when a team that’s coming off a 1-15 season is considered intriguing, but here we are with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They retooled their franchise at the hands of legendary college head coach Urban Meyer, and there may or may not be a battle for the starting quarterback spot between number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence and Gardner Minshew (Hint: there’s not.) Then, there’s the Tim Tebow of it all, who signed as a tight end in the offseason, but was cut after the first preseason game. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington brings his view on how the Jags performed last week, and shares what fans should expect from them this season with guest host Emily Kaplan. Then, the U.S. women’s national hockey team reached a one-year deal with USA Hockey, but the fight for equal treatment in women’s sports is still ongoing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL is back! Well, the preseason if that’s your thing. And it is indeed Louis Riddick’s thing! The ESPN analyst, former NFL player and pro scout tells us all about the preseason debut of Justin Fields with the Chicago Bears. Fields was the fourth quarterback selected in 2021, but looked more than NFL ready as he completed 14/20 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for another touchdown and 33 yards. He even said the game felt “slow.” So just how ready is Justin Fields to start as QB of the Chicago Bears? Then, The Honus Wagner reclaims its throne as the king of all sports cards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Los Angeles this week, Trevor Bauer and a woman who has accused him of assault are expected to testify in court. The 27-year-old woman, whose name ESPN is not revealing, says Bauer assaulted her over the course of two sexual encounters in April and May. A judge will decide whether to make permanent the temporary restraining order the woman was granted against Bauer in June. Bauer’s future in MLB is unclear, as the pitcher remains on administrative leave from the Dodgers. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez has been following the case, and shares his reporting, done in partnership with ESPN’s Tisha Thompson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August is ESPN’s Matthew Berry’s favorite time of year: fantasy draft season. After participating in hundreds of thousands of drafts over his long fantasy career, Berry has everyone from Jay-Z to the Avengers cast asking him who they should draft. To better your chances this upcoming fantasy football season, Berry shares his “7 Habits of Highly Effective Drafters,” so you too can dominate your peers. Then, following Major League Baseball’s “Field of Dreams” game, ESPN Daily’s own Ryan Nantell shares a story of his time on the storied diamond from the 1989 film. It was not dreamy.

It’s not often you hear about a 7-time Super Bowl champion re-inventing himself, but that’s exactly what Tom Brady is doing...at 44 years old. We’ve seen Brady show more personality over the past year in Tampa Bay than he ever did in 20 seasons in New England. From his tipsy Super Bowl boat parade back in February, to joking about his age with President Biden, to his sudden embrace of memes on social media...Brady is finally showing a side of himself that is funnier, more candid...and maybe even, human. Brady’s personal development also coincides with the evolution of the Buccaneers’ already stout defense, which he may need now more than ever following his knee surgery in the offseason. ESPN reporter Jenna Laine joins us to talk all things Tom Brady, and if we should expect to see him play in Saturday’s preseason opener. Then, the soon-to-be-new governor of New York may have a personal interest in keeping the Bills in her hometown of Buffalo.

Russell Westbrook is making his return to L.A. to join what might be the most star-studded Lakers roster ever. While there are questions on whether it’ll work as planned, a SoCal homecoming has apparently been Russ’ goal. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne spills all the secrets surrounding roster shake-ups since 2019 for both teams in La La Land, and how Westbrook could have ended up in a Clippers jersey.

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline left the rich even richer...well, at least the Dodgers. L.A. landed three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, and his former Nationals teammate Trea Turner. Jeff Passan explains how and why L.A. made this deal, with the small market thinking behind their strategy. Plus, the goods on other big deadline deals. Then, yet another athlete comment shows racism persists against the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

In an emotional press conference, Lionel Messi said his final goodbye to Barcelona. It’s been his team for more than 20 years, since he was 13 years old. While Messi and Barcelona had agreed on a five-year extension, the deal fell through because of rules from Spain’s league, LaLiga. ESPN’s Gab Marcotti explains how and why Barcelona allowed this to happen, and the impact of Messi’s exit on the rest of the sport. Then, how the Texas Rangers’ Brock Holt threw a historically slow strike.

The Tokyo Olympics are drawing to a close, and it’s with perhaps less enthusiasm for the event than any Games in recent memory. Viewership is down sharply from the 2016 Games in Rio, and while much of that is no doubt due to the timezone difference as well as the lack of spectators due to the pandemic, there is still a sense among many that the Olympic’s future is uncertain. Fewer and fewer cities are actively bidding to host the Olympics, and corruption scandals at the IOC as well as doping controversies have left much of the public cynical about the true purpose of the Games. Jeremy Schaap, who has covered eight Olympics on the ground, examines where the Olympic movement is headed...and reflects on some of his favorite extinct Olympic events from history. Then, former rhythmic gymnastics Junior Olympic gold medalist Katie Nolan shares her memories from the sport she loves.

College sports powerhouses the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners have hightailed it for the almighty Southeastern Conference, or SEC, leaving the Big 12 behind. It’s one of the biggest college football shakeups we’ve seen, and shows the enormous power and influence of the SEC. College football gentleman and scholar Spencer Hall takes us inside this drama to tell us why it matters.

As coronavirus cases surge across the country, the NFL’s training camps are in full swing. But the most important battle being waged is between the teams and a vocal minority of players who don’t want to get vaccinated. This offseason, the NFL has implemented new policies to encourage players to get the vaccine. For instance, if an unvaccinated player causes an outbreak that forces a game to be canceled, that player’s team must forfeit. And every player on both teams will lose out on their game check. In addition, unvaccinated players are mandated to spend 5 days in quarantine if they come in contact with an infected individual. So coaches around the league are increasingly taking the view that the vaccine isn’t just crucial to private and public health...it’s critical to winning football games. But that doesn’t mean every player agrees...and the friction is starting to boil over publicly. Kevin Seifert explains the pushback, and how the NFL is handling its vaccination efforts going forward. Then, Sarah Spain discusses her Olympic heptathlon dreams.

Skateboarding’s debut at the Olympics felt like a success in the viral waves it made. After the street competition, this week we’ll see the men’s and women’s park events. For skaters across the globe, Olympic skateboarding prompts some existential questions. Gary Rogers, X Games commentator and host of Skateline for Thrasher Magazine, walks us through the Olympic competitors and explains why a gold medal will never be the pinnacle of a skater’s career.

As the Olympics moves into its second week, we check in with our Tokyo correspondent Brian Windhorst. What will he remember most so far, and what’s ahead? Plus more on USA Men’s Basketball’s path to Olympic gold (or not). Then a look at the Lakers’ earth-shattering trade for Russell Westbrook and other big moves that are expected as free agency begins in the NBA.

The motto of the Olympics is Citius, Altius, Fortius: Faster, Higher, Stronger. It’s what we’ve come to expect from every athlete who competes in the games. Each Olympics, we want to see records shattered for what humans can physically achieve. But how much faster, higher, and stronger can humans get? David Epstein helps us explore the peak of human athletic performance, or if the potential is actually limitless. Then Pablo reflects on the virtual watch parties for Olympians that have gone viral.

It’s being called one of the most loaded NBA draft classes in recent memory. The projected top three picks: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley are all talented to enough to be selected #1 overall. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz is here to run down all the names and scenarios you need to know for tonight’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Are the Pistons a lock to take Cade Cunningham? Is Jalen Suggs the new Jrue Holiday? Who is Bones Hyland, and why should you be obsessed with him? And is Turkish big man Alperen Sengun the next Nikola Jokic? Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on the US women’s 3-on-3 basketball team’s gold medal - and the sport’s inception.

The Tokyo Games has already seen several upsets, but none more surprising than Simone Biles’ stumble on the vault and then her withdrawal from the team gymnastics final. Despite initial speculation of an injury, Biles said she stepped away out of concern for her mental health and whether her performance might hurt the team’s chances. ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk explains the lead up and the day of Biles’ withdrawal, what it means for the rest of the gymnastics competition at the Olympics, and beyond. Then Pablo shares what Hidilyn Diaz becoming the first Olympic gold medalist for the Philippines means to him.

Aaron Rodgers is inching toward a new deal with his Green Bay Packers right when NFL players report to training camps. With the season just around the corner, other situations also remain in question - like Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. Investigations of sexual assault allegations against Watson are ongoing. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell gets us up to speed, and clears the air surrounding lingering COVID-19 vaccine questions. Then, Ashley Brewer gives us an update on Katie Ledecky’s quest to become the most decorated female Olympian of all time.

At the Tokyo Games, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team has found itself in an unfamiliar position: second place after the first qualifying event. Poised to help bring the team back to the top is 18-year-old phenom Sunisa Lee, second in the world to Simone Biles. Lee has balanced the weight of family tragedy — and the pride of being the first Olympian of Hmong ethnicity — all the way to Japan. ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk charts Sunisa’s path to gold so far, and the uneven, high-stakes road ahead. Then, Brian Windhorst updates us on men’s basketball, after Team USA’s loss to France, and why we might see more L’s ahead.

You’ll find several “Jalens” in the 2021 NBA draft this week. And that's on top of all the "Jalens" in the 2021 NFL draft. From Jalen Suggs to Jalen Green to Jalen Johnson, the announcement of the picks will have you hearing the name ... a lot. For years our colleague, friend and basketball veteran Jalen Rose has maintained today’s Jalens are named for him (whether they know it or not). In one of our favorite-ever episodes, we honor Jalen Rose’s mother, the recently passed Jeanne Rose, by exploring the history and mystery of his name in sports and beyond. With data, experts, and extensive interviews, the Jalen paradox is solved.

The Tokyo Olympics begin today, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is on the ground set to cover Team USA Basketball in its first Olympic matchup this weekend. After surprising exhibition losses and last-minute roster changes due to COVID-19, Windhorst shares how the men’s team will fare in Tokyo. Hear how the game differs on the world stage, which teams pose the biggest threat, and why the era of “Dream Team” dominance may be coming to an end.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are here, one year late, and much to the dismay of many in Japan. The Tokyo Games will be unlike any other in Olympic history. Fans will not be allowed in any of the arenas. Athletes, officials and media are required to remain in the Olympic “bubble” and stay separated from the general public. And the Olympic Village, which typically serves as a giant party for the athletes, promises to be much more subdued. All of it, of course, is to hopefully keep the coronavirus from spiking, and possibly forcing the Games to be halted. Pablo caught up with ESPN producer, Tony Florkowski, who is getting ready to work his 14th Olympic Games, and is currently quarantined in his hotel room. Then, Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times helps us understand how the people of Japan are reacting to these Olympics set to begin under a state of emergency.

The Bucks are NBA Champions! Pablo reacts to the win in Milwaukee and why a title takes skill, not luck. Then, Layshia Clarendon is a WNBA all-star now with the Minnesota Lynx, parent to an infant, activist off the court, and they’re the first openly nonbinary and transgender player in the league. ESPN’s Katie Barnes shares their story, from how faith impacted Clarendon’s upbringing to the complex road to self-discovery.

Tonight the Milwaukee Bucks have a chance to close out the NBA Finals on their home floor and secure their first championship in 50 years. Standing in their way is future Hall of Famer Chris Paul and his squad of young guns on the Suns, desperate to send the series back to Phoenix for a seventh game. ESPN’s Malika Andrews has been on the sidelines throughout the NBA playoffs, and previews this crucial matchup. Then, comedian Wyatt Cenac gives his take on why Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are not Batman and Robin, and wouldn’t want to be.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has 22 helmets in his Zoom background...and that just makes sense. The veteran quarterback has been in the NFL since 2005, as both a star and a journeyman in a career that’s spanned many teams and cities. And it wasn’t a given in college at Harvard that he’d even go pro at all. Pablo Torre has known “Fitzmagic” since those days, and talks lessons on the field and off with the 2021 starting QB for the Washington Football Team, including how he’s managed to stay off of social media all this time.

It’s been 11 years since NBA veteran Lorenzen Wright was murdered, his body found in a remote field in Memphis. Wright’s twin sons, Lamar and Shamar were 10 years old when their father was killed. Now, Shamar and Lamar are finally ready to share their perspective on their father, his murder, and the accusations against their mother, Sherra. Sherra Wright pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of her husband in 2019, but now, in a rare interview from prison, she proclaims her innocence. Through the loss of their father, the arrest of their mother, Lamar and Shamar Wright have somehow pushed on, and are now playing college basketball together. Our own Lisa Salters recounts this story of loss and basketball, which accompanies an E:60 special A Murder in Memphis available on demand now on the ESPN app.

The New York Yankees have become a disappointment. Their heartbreaking loss to the Houston Astros right before the All-Star break is a prime example of the struggles they’ve been through this year, and their season doesn’t get any easier from here. In their path to redemption lie their storied rivals, the Boston Red Sox, who sit atop the American League East, enjoying an 8-game lead over their rivals. Jeff Passan tells us how the Bronx Bombers have been defused, and whether or not there’s still hope for them this season. Then, how Jusuf Nurkic is trying to buy vaccines for all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Phoenix Suns Center DeAndre Ayton has been arguably the most important big man in the NBA this postseason. ESPN Senior NBA Writer Zach Lowe joins the show to tell us how Ayton has made the journey from #1 pick, to borderline bust, to the key of the Suns defense. On the other side is two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has battled back from a scary knee injury to dominate Game 3. Lowe breaks down how this match up of two big men may just hold the key to the rest of the series.

Meet two of the best stuntwomen in Hollywood: Heidi and Renae Moneymaker. You’ve seen them in Avengers: Endgame, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and now, Black Widow, to name a few. The Moneymaker sisters take us through the bumps and bruises that come from being real life superheroes as stuntwomen. Heidi has helped craft the character of Black Widow with Scarlett Johnasson, as her stunt double for the last decade. And Renae was Brie Larson’s stunt double in Captain Marvel, among others. The Moneymaker sisters have faced the greatest villains on-screen, and tell us how two skilled gymnasts went from formal floor routines to getting hit by cars, dodging explosions and diving off cliffs.

The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani has been slugging homers to corners of ballparks few humans have ever reached, making this year’s MLB Home Run Derby a must-see. He leads the league in home runs AND he’s piling up strikeouts on the mound. That two-way dominance has him set to light up the All-Star Game, too. Alden Gonzalez, our guide to the Ohtani experiment, says the Babe Ruth comparison doesn’t even apply to what Shohei has been doing this season. Hear how Ohtani will dazzle next. Then, Sam Borden joins us from London as Italy takes the Euro 2020 trophy over England, before a packed Wembley Stadium.

Franchise owners are some of the wealthiest Americans. Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s net worth is estimated at more than $100 billion. He’s just one of the billionaires in ProPublica’s investigation on how teams are handled, when it comes to owners’ tax liability. Investigative reporter Robert Faturechi of ProPublica walks us through the tax code as it relates to franchise executives, and how they may wind up paying lower taxes by percentage than not only the players for whom they write their checks, but the workers at their arenas as well. Then Greg Wyshynski tells us how back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions the Tampa Bay Lightning are celebrating fresh off the ice, literally, with a limited-edition beer.

It’s finally here! One of ESPN’s most prestigious events, the Scripps National Spelling Bee, names a champion tonight. Families from across the country cheer on their finalist spellers, and it’s all broadcast live on ESPN2 at 8PM Eastern. Host Kevin Negandhi shares how the bee works, and why it means so much to the Indian-American community. Hear about the fierce field of competitors, and see how Kevin and Pablo do with a word or two.

It may have been his NBA Finals debut, but Chris Paul looked like he’d been preparing for his whole life. Now in his 16th season, the 36 year old Paul took control of Game 1 of the NBA Finals leading Phoenix to a 118-105 victory over Milwaukee. It was a vintage CP3 performance, complete with surgical pick-and-rolls, attacking drives to the rim, and opportunistic outside jumpers. Kevin Arnovitz has covered Paul for years, and explains why he is finding success at this stage of his career, after so many seasons of heartbreak. Plus, Kevin's breakdown of what the Bucks need to do to slow down the Suns, and why the series may yet have drama in store. Then, we check in with Sam Borden in London, who brings us a soccer (and culinary) update from the 2020 Euros semifinals.

You know and love the Marvin Gaye song “What’s Going On,” which turned 50 this year. But do you know the background voices on the hit song belong to two Detroit Lions? The Motown superstar developed a deep friendship with NFL players Mel Farr and Lem Barney, and it led to music history. Plus the story gets even better, as Farr and Barney helped Marvin Gaye take his dream of playing pro football to the next level. Justin Tinsley joins the show to tell the amazing story of football’s role in Marvin Gaye’s turbulent life.

50 years ago, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met in their first iconic boxing match, known as “The Fight of the Century.” It was 1971, with the civil rights movement in full swing and the nation divided over the war in Vietnam. Jeremy Schaap, boxing historian and host of E60 and Outside the Lines, shares how political and cultural views were projected onto Ali and Frazier, with their different personalities, history and fighting styles. The night itself was a grand celebrity spectacle (Frank Sinatra took a gig as a photographer, just to get in the building.) And while Frazier won unanimously, the fight has a more complex and nuanced legacy. Half a century later, it remains one of the sports’ biggest moments.

July 1, 2021 marks a new era in college sports. It’s a day which some believed would never come, because student-athletes are now free to make money off of their name, image, and likeness. Many stars at the collegiate level have already begun to partake in their newfound compensatory freedom, but what will these game changing new laws mean for the collegiate world as a whole? ESPN’s Dan Murphy joins Sarah Spain to answer all of our questions on how schools, players, and fans are being affected by these uncharted waters. Then, Sarah shares her insights on the struggles that Olympic mothers face, as many remain unsure if they are allowed to bring their newborns to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Major League Baseball’s crackdown is underway on pitchers using foreign substances for better grip. ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan explains why we’re seeing players being undressed by umpires as they come off the field (in one case literally). Questions remain about how smart a move this was to make in the middle of the season, and if it is having the effect that MLB wants. Then, Sarah reflects on Bobby Bonilla Day, and a Yankees bat girl who finally saw her dream came true, 60 years after writing a letter to the team.

P.K. Subban, ESPN’s newest NHL playoff analyst and three-time NHL All-Star, joins Sarah Spain to dive deep into the Stanley Cup Final. Subban, who played sevens seasons for the Canadiens, shares what it means for most storied franchise in the NHL to be back playing for the Cup after last winning it nearly 30 years ago. Standing in their way are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to be the first team to repeat since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Subban explains what the Canadiens need to do to complete their Cinderella run, and how the Lightning can make even more history en route to their third championship. He also tells the story of his childhood friend and teammate Steven Stamkos...and how they used to dominate on the Pee-Wee hockey circuit. Then, Sarah shares her thoughts on Dak Prescott opening up about the importance of mental health.

Simone Biles has been the face of USA Gymnastics ever since she began competing on the international stage. The most decorated gymnast of all time has sealed her position on the U.S. Olympic roster for the second straight games, and will travel to Tokyo with a scary good team. ESPN’s Alyssa Roenigk shares what she saw at the Olympic trials, and breaks down the moves that make Biles legendary.

The NBA Conference Finals are heating up - especially for Khris Middleton, whose surge helped the Bucks come back to rout the Hawks 113-102, and they lead the series 2-1. The Hawks led for almost the entire game thanks to Trae Young, who got injured during the game but returned. And in the west, the Phoenix Suns are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. Propelled by veteran Chris Paul and young star Devin Booker, the Suns held a comfortable lead in Saturday’s Game 4, until the final minutes when the Clippers closed the gap and nearly held the lead. Then, a bizarre final minute...but the Suns held on to take a 3-1 lead. Sarah Spain and Brian Windhorst unpack the Conference Finals action.

Ahead of his book, “Reborn in the USA: An Englishman's Love Letter to His Chosen Home,” Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers fame shares how his love for U.S. sports and culture as a kid in Liverpool led him in search of his own American dream. From meeting his childhood idol William “The Refrigerator” Perry, to the emotion of being sworn in as a US Citizen, Bennett's story truly captures the wonder and complexity of America. It's also the story of sports' magic ability to bridge cultures. And of course, Bennett offers his thoughts on England's chances in the Euro 2020 tournament as it heads into the knockout round.

Every four years, athletes compete for glory at the Olympic Games, and this year’s Tokyo Games will feel even greater for two-time gold medalist Susan Francia. Her mother, Dr. Kate Karikó, has seen her lifelong work come to fruition in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Karikó’s dedication to her research amidst adversity inspired her daughter, who became an elite rower and Olympian. ESPN’s Julie Foudy takes us through the story of Dr. Karikó’s perseverance, her mRNA breakthroughs behind the vaccine, and the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the E:60 upcoming feature “What We’re Made Of.”

From the playground to the gym to the NBA Conference Finals...the basketball court is ruled not by an iron fist, but by the “hot hand.” Shooters demand the ball when they get a hot hand. Teammates feed the player with the hot hand. Coaches draw up plays for the hot hand. But what if there is actually no such thing as the “hot hand?” For decades, that’s been the belief of Nobel Prize winning scientists who insist that what looks like a player who can’t miss...is really just a statistical fluke. Author Ben Cohen penned a book on the subject, “The Hot Hand,” and he joins the show for a scientific heat check now that the conference finals are in full swing. Is the burning sensation is a verifiable reality, or just a puff of smoke? Then, Pablo seeks to turn his park hobby into disc golf pro Paul McBeth’s million dollar endorsement deal.

On Monday the Supreme Court unanimously ruled to uphold Alston v. NCAA, saying the NCAA could not bar certain types of payments to college athletes. It’s largely seen as having opened the door to a wider challenge to the NCAA’s ban on college athletes receiving compensation, writ large. ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas, college athlete and longtime critic of the NCAA’s claims around amateurism, breaks down the latest chapter in the saga and what it means (in the way that only he can). Then, Pablo shares thoughts on Carl Nassib, the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay.

This weekend’s NBA playoffs included a pair of Game 7s and the first game of the Western Conference Finals. In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets in overtime, despite a 48-point performance from Nets star Kevin Durant. The Bucks will meet the Hawks, following the thrilling finish to that series where the Hawks soared to victory, thanks to Trae Young’s fourth quarter heroics. And in the west, Devin Booker propelled the Chris Paul-less Phoenix Suns to a win in Game 1 over the LA Clippers, who are still without Kawhi Leonard. Brian Windhorst runs down every minute of NBA playoff action.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is perhaps the most overlooked superstar in the NBA. At age 24, he’s one of the league’s premiere scorers. And his domination has continued this season, through the Phoenix Suns’ playoff run - they’re in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years. In a re-air of our episode from February, ESPN analyst Michael Wilbon takes us back to Booker’s roots in his “Cover Story, ” and chronicles the Gen-Z phenom’s path from 6th man at Kentucky, to his connection with Kobe Bryant, to his relationship with new teammate Chris Paul.

Formula 1 Racing has been incredibly popular overseas for decades. Its drivers are some of the most well-known and highest paid athletes in the world, but it's never taken off in the U.S. Now, thanks in part to the hit Netflix series “F1: Drive to Survive,” Formula 1 has begun to convert Americans with its high-speed danger and soap opera drama. Ryan McGee takes the wheel to give a crash course on Formula 1 racing. Then Marc Spears explains what Juneteenth means to him across sports and culture.

Australian two-time world champion Tyler Wright was born to surf. She achieved incredible victories in the water, while enduring tremendous loss in her personal life. This combination of fame and chaos nearly broke her. As she was falling in love with her then-girlfriend, Wright also wasn’t sure her sport could accept her. It took a crippling illness for Wright to decide she was not only going to keep surfing, but do so while being unapologetically herself. Alyssa Roenigk reports on this incredible journey.

The U.S. Open tees off this week, with all eyes on the simmering feud between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Michael Collins, ESPN analyst and host of “America’s Caddie” on ESPN+, joins the show from Torrey Pines to discuss the origins of this rivalry, why the bad blood between these two golf stars has continued, and whether or not all the drama is good for the sport. Plus, how Collins went from standup comedy stages to the links.

It’s been 10 years since the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins, in Vancouver. Canucks fans didn’t exactly hide their frustrations, as a riot engulfed the city. Now, a decade later, arguably the most enduring image of that night was a photo of a couple, kissing on the ground, surrounded by police in riot gear. Greg Wyshynski caught up with the couple, and the photographer, and joins the show to share how that iconic image endures to this day.

Another weekend of NBA playoff action is in the books. On Sunday, tensions flared between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, with league MVP Nikola Jokic getting ejected in the third quarter as the Suns swept. The Milwaukee Bucks put together a dominant effort led by Giannis Antetokounmpo to win Game 4 vs. the Nets, putting the series at 2-2 as Brooklyn grapples with Kyrie Irving and James Harden’s injuries. Kirk Goldsberry assesses all the on-the-court action and looks ahead to the rest of this week’s games. Then, newcomer Nets superfan Mina Kimes reassures the Brooklyn faithful.

Never has “better late than never” meant so much to so many. That’s because the 2020 Euros - aka the UEFA European Championship - kicks off today after a year’s delay due to the pandemic. It’s a tournament that consumes the continent and combines high drama on the pitch with real-world geopolitical stakes off of it. Coming off their World Cup victory in 2018, France are heavy favorites, but can they survive the “Group of Death” with rival Germany and reigning champs Portugal? Sam Borden joins us from Rome for a preview of the 24-team field that will see matches played at 11 sites across Europe. Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on athletes and coaches deciding to get the COVID vaccine.

The worst-kept secret in baseball is being brought to light. With batting averages at an all-time low and strikeouts at an all-time high, Major League Baseball is cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances to get a better grip on the ball. Buster Olney helps us understand why it took so long for MLB to enforce these rules, and why the gentleman’s agreement that tolerated the practice for years no longer holds. It’s an all-too-familiar story in a sport where the steroid era proved that players will always seek any available competitive edge. Then, Montreal native Ariel Helwani makes the case for why we should jump on the Montreal Canadiens bandwagon, as they’re one series away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

This NFL offseason is bursting with drama. There’s Julio Jones signing with the Tennessee Titans after more than a decade as the Atlanta Falcons star receiver. Aaron Rodgers won’t be showing up for required OTAs with the Packers, and his rift with the organization isn’t any closer to resolution. Ryan Clark helps us navigate the biggest NFL storylines, checks in on the various QB controversies, and discusses which teams have the most at stake in the coming months heading into the regular season. Then, Jessica Mendoza comes up to the plate to talk about the Women’s College World Series.

The NFL says it will stop using race-norming in evaluating former players’ concussion claims, as the practice makes it less likely for Black claimants to receive financial compensation. In years of settling and paying out claims up to now, the league has maintained its process was sound. Ryan Smith has been investigating the story for ESPN and ABC. He shares what prompted the NFL’s change in position, what updates to the program might look like and cost, and whether Black players previously denied payouts with race-norming in place will now be compensated.

The first round of the NBA Playoffs closed out in dramatic fashion yesterday, with Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard providing a pair of dynamic performances in Game 7 as the Clippers advanced past the Mavs. Also, the Atlanta Hawks took Game 1 in their series vs. the Sixers, thanks to a nearly unstoppable Trae Young, who’s been the breakout star of this postseason. And despite James Harden going down with an injury in the first minute, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1...and are now looking at the prospect of being Harden-less for at least Game 2. Brian Windhorst runs through the biggest storylines of the weekend’s basketball action, and looks ahead to the second round.

The global internet celebrity Logal Paul faces off against boxing legend Floyd Mayweather this Sunday. Both men are controversial figures, who’ve faced criminal allegations. The veteran prizefighter taking on a viral video star is just the latest unconventional attempt to draw eyes to the boxing ring, as interest in combat sports continues to shift. ESPN’s Ben Baby examines why Mayweather came out of retirement to fight Paul, why internet stars like Paul may be poised to succeed on pay-per-view, and if this is the future of the “sweet science.”

Mascots come in all shapes and sizes. From animals like the Oriole Bird or Roary the Lion to creatures like Gritty, mascots are a zany yet indelible part of sports. And while we honor the best players, teams, and coaches at various hall of fame institutions, there hasn’t been a place to honor mascots … until now. The three-story, 18 million-dollar Mascot Hall of Fame is open in Whiting, Indiana. Jake Malooley takes us behind the scenes to its hallowed, fur-lined halls. And he shares the story of the man who made it all happen: Dave Raymond, who worked as the original Phillie Phanatic. Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on LeBron James and the Lakers’ recent struggles.

Lou Gehrig was one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. But Gehrig’s career, and ultimately his life, was cut short by the disease with which he has become synonymous, ALS. In March, MLB announced plans for their first annual Lou Gehrig Day, which will be celebrated each year on June 2nd. Jeff Passan joins the show to examine Gehrig’s legacy, and to share the story of the man who actually made MLB’s Lou Gehrig Day happen: Brian Wayne Gallantine. Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on Naomi Osaka’s comments about the post-match press conferences at the French Open and mental health in sports.

Serena Williams. Tom Brady. Roger Federer. What really goes into making a G.O.A.T.? And extending that greatness for decades? Reporter, best-selling author, and current host of the podcast How To!, David Epstein is one of sports’ top mythbusters. His books The Sports Gene and Range delve into athletes’ lives, minds and habits to find the building blocks of success. Epstein applies his findings to trends like more superstars performing well as they age, and why getting kids to specialize in one sport might actually lead to injury rather than wins, in a re-air of one of our favorite episodes.

For generations, men and women from around the sports world have also served in our nation’s military. Among them, Rocky Bleier's story stands out. Bleier won a college football national championship with Notre Dame, then during his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Three months into his deployment to Vietnam, Bleier was shot through the thigh and suffered a grenade blast to his foot. Doctors told him he’d never play football again. But Bleier would rejoin the Steelers and win four Super Bowls with the team in the 1970s. In 2018, Bleier and ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi traveled to Vietnam, to the Hiep Duc Valley, where Bleier served, and where many of his fellow soldiers were killed in an ambush. We re-air this story for Memorial Day.

Dallas Mavericks center Boban Marjanovic stands at 7’4” and the Serbia native is most likely your favorite NBA player’s favorite player. Known for his quirky personality and authenticity, Boban calls himself a "big friendly giant," and his presence in the Mavs’ locker room brings something immeasurable. Sam Borden shares how Boban’s influenced the team, including star Luka Doncic, as the team goes for a 3-0 lead in their series against the Clippers. Then, Tottenham superfan Sun Min Kimes makes a triumphant return to preview this weekend’s Champions League Final between Manchester City and Chelsea.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been in limbo since the COVID pandemic gripped the world. The games have already been postponed a full year, and are now less than two months away. But even as the opening ceremonies on July 23rd draw closer and closer, it’s still unclear whether or not the Tokyo Olympics will actually take place. With coronavirus cases surging in Japan, and distribution of the vaccine proceeding slowly, Tokyo is currently under a state of emergency. And perhaps most importantly, public opinion in Japan is now firmly on the side of canceling the games outright. But the International Olympic Committee has been adamant about moving forward with the games. ESPN senior writer Tom Hamilton, who’s based in London, and the Times of London’s Asia editor Richard Lloyd Parry, who’s based in Tokyo, explain the financial implications, public health risks, and other factors at play as the Tokyo Olympics hang in the balance.

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has one oft-repeated mantra: “The magic is in the work.” It’s a mantra that has struck a chord with Julius Randle, whose work has paid off this year. Randle has led the Knicks to the playoffs, made an All-Star appearance, and was just named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Nick Friedell has covered Thibodeau for ten years, and joins the show to explain Thibodeau’s coaching style, and what it means for a player like Randle to be a “Thibs guy.” Then, Packers reporter Rob Demovsky helps us parse through Aaron Rodgers’ recent comments, and his future with the team.

One year ago, May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin. The event spurred protest, activism and action around the world. In sports, perhaps no entity was as prepared to deal with the resulting racial reckoning as the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. Katie Barnes joins the show to share stories from the women of the Lynx. From personal experiences that inform their views on criminal justice, to how the team first took a stand against disproportionate police violence many years ago, the Lynx have been central to sports’ evolving relationship with athlete activism.

You know and love the Marvin Gaye song “What’s Going On,” which turned 50 this month. But do you know the background voices on the hit song belong to two Detroit Lions? The Motown superstar developed a deep friendship with NFL players Mel Farr and Lem Barney, and it led to music history. Plus the story gets even better, as Farr and Barney helped Marvin Gaye take his dream of playing pro football to the next level. Justin Tinsley joins the show to tell the amazing story of football’s role in Marvin Gaye’s turbulent life, also a Sports Center feature and 2017 story for The Undefeated.

When LeBron James sunk a game winning 3-point shot in the final minute of Wednesday’s play-in game vs. Golden State, it felt like the NBA playoffs had already begun. And now, the seventh seeded Lakers are actually favored in their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. As the playoffs loom, Kevin Arnovitz tells us how LeBron and Anthony Davis (who are still recovering from injuries) and the Lakers might handle Chris Paul and the Suns. Plus he makes the case for why we should hop on the Utah Jazz bandwagon. And why Bucks vs. Heat might be the most enticing matchup in the entire first round.

Lionel Messi shocked the soccer world last year when he announced he wanted to leave Barcelona, the team he’s played for since he was a teenager. Messi’s contract expires at the end of June, and clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are poised to make massive offers to the man many consider the greatest player of all time. Sid Lowe has covered Messi for his entire career with Barcelona from inside Spain, and joins the show to take us through how Messi came to this crossroads, the stages of Messi’s career from Argentina to Barcelona, and what his next move might be.

When an unknown 25-year-old named John Daly showed up at the 1991 PGA Championship literally the night before -- as the ninth alternate -- he pulled off the biggest upset in golf history and became an instant icon, 30 years ago this August. Daly’s style (namely his mullet), and his behavior (namely chain smoking and drinking too much) set him apart from the buttoned up country club crowd. But his massive drives and bad boy persona made him a fan favorite, and his win at the 1991 PGA Championship in Carmel, Indiana made him a legend in golf history. What’s less well known, but no less significant, is the story of another man who attended that tournament. During the first round, Tom Weaver, a spectator and father of two, was struck in the chest by lightning, and died at the scene. ESPN’s Bob Harig shares the story of Tom Weaver, and the gift Daly sent his family afterwards, that lives on to this day.

No one is happier to see the New York Knicks in the NBA Playoffs than our own Stephen A. Smith. But the ESPN host and commentator infamously pulls no punches as a critic of the team, or the league in general. And he has his share of takes on the painful path it took for the Knicks to get here. Hear what he thinks happens next. Plus, Stephen A’s best bets to make it past the NBA Play-In Tournament, tipping off today.

The late Kobe Bryant was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, where his wife Vanessa delivered a moving speech remembering her husband during Saturday’s emotional night. Also inducted were fellow NBA icons Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett...as well as our own Michael Wilbon, who was given the Curt Gowdy Media Award. Wilbon joins the show to share some behind-the-scenes moments from a historic basketball weekend. Then, ESPN’s Dan Hajducky reflects on a connection he shares with Hall of Fame inductee and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings.

Medina Spirit will race in this weekend’s Preakness, fresh off a win at the Kentucky Derby. The victory is clouded in controversy, because a drug test right after came up positive for a substance banned on race day. Longtime trainer and racing honcho Bob Baffert has denied wrongdoing, but this is just the latest in a string of concerning incidents around his massive horse training operation. Matt Hegarty of Daily Racing Form walks us through the timeline of events, leading up to this weekend’s Preakness, and the implications for superstar Baffert. Then Wright Thompson, reporter for ESPN’s “Bloodlines” podcast, shares more on his time with Baffert, and the state of racing.

Joel Embiid’s 2021 season has been marked by seismic ups and downs. With the Sixers leading the Eastern Conference, Embiid was the front runner for NBA MVP through mid-March...until he went down with a knee injury that sidelined him for 10 games. The injury was just the latest roadblock in a career that’s seemingly always just on the cusp of fulfilling its potential. And off the court, Embiid has faced personal tragedy, with the death of his brother Arthur, as well as joy, with the birth of his first child, whom he’s named after his late brother. As Embiid and the 76ers look toward the postseason, Ramona Shelburne sits down with Joel Embiid as he reveals his emotional journey and shares what drives him.