The Lead

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A lot of sports stories caught our attention in 2023. But when we stepped back and looked at the year as a whole, there was one storyline that rose above them all -- the incredible growth of women’s sports. Today, we’re looking back at the moments that made 2023 such a historic year, and looking forward to what the future might bring. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

When we think about innovative teams that have shaped the way offense is played in the NFL today, one of the first that comes to mind is the Bill Walsh-era San Francisco 49ers. However, there’s another trailblazing team from the same era that has arguably had just as big an impact on the sport. Today, we tell the story of the high-flying, but somewhat forgotten San Diego Chargers of the late 1970s...

Over the last four years, Armando Bacot has been a double-double machine for one of college basketball’s most storied programs. But the reminders of what Bacot hasn’t accomplished at UNC continue to hang over him. Today, we dive into why Bacot decided to come back for one last high-stakes season at Chapel Hill. Plus, how his fame off the court as one of the faces of NIL could influence a potential...

Baseball has always had a special place in the hearts and minds of fans -- of all ages. But what if the power of baseball memories could help aging baseball fans heal and live healthier lives? Today we explore a little known practice known as 'Baseball Reminiscence Therapy.' Reporter: Tiffany Oshinsky Learn more about Baseball Reminiscence Therapy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy an...

He’s the coach who makes slightly offbeat comments during press conferences, orchestrates the NFL’s most dynamic and explosive offense, and sometimes — decides to leave his high-pressure job out of the blue to see his family. Bottom line: Mike McDaniel does things differently. Today, we look at how the Dolphins head coach became someone who was willing to challenge the conventional wisdom of...

Lior Asulin was a star player on a soccer team that was once a powerful symbol of peace and unity in Israel -- a team where Jews and Arabs played side by side. Nearly twenty years later, he was killed by Hamas in the October 7th attacks. This is the tragic story of his life and death. Interviewees: Adi Rubinstein, Eyal Lahman, Gabriel Lima Watch a documentary about the aftermath of Bnei Sakhnin's...

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs was the author of one of the most dramatic wins of the NFL season, leading his team to a victory over the Falcons — and learning plays on the fly — just five days after coming over from the Cardinals in a trade. Today, we look at why Dobbs — an actual rocket scientist — was in the rare position to rise to that occasion. And, after a disastrou...

In 1983, musical legend Marvin Gaye stepped to the microphone at The Forum in Los Angeles, to sing the national anthem before the NBA All-Star Game. What happened next set in motion a cultural transformation within the NBA that still reverberates today. (This episode first aired on March 1, 2023) Guests: David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic Read David and Marcus's story about Marvin...

Travis Kelce might be the most talked-about man in all of American pop culture right now. But his rise from football star to A-List celebrity actually began months before he began courting Taylor Swift with a friendship bracelet. Tom Kludt spent time with Kelce earlier this year and wrote an in-depth profile of him for Vanity Fair, and Tom joined us to discuss Kelce's remarkable ascent, the origin...

At age 14, Mikey Williams was considered by some to be the best basketball player his age in the country. He had millions of followers on Instagram and celebrities like Drake asked for his jersey and invited him backstage. He even had LeBron James serving as a mentor. But questions about his basketball abilities began to pile up. And then, earlier this year, his life took a very dark turn. Today,...

You might not guess it from watching him play football, but for much of his life, the odds have not been in C.J. Stroud’s favor. He saw his father go to prison at age 13, and reportedly did so poorly on the S2 cognition test that many people expected him to fail in the NFL. Today, we look at how Stroud’s self-belief helped propel him past the obstacles in the path, and redefine what’s possible for...

If you’ve watched a Philadelphia Eagles game recently, chances are you’ve gotten a close look at arguably the NFL’s most controversial play. The Tush Push (or Brotherly Shove, or Two-Cheek Sneak, if you prefer) has become the Eagles not-so-secret weapon, a play that’s been both criticized — and imitated — across the NFL. Today, we look at why the play has become so polarizing in such a short...

A living nightmare finally came to an end for Liverpool's Luis Diaz on Thursday when his father was released by kidnappers in Colombia. Luis Manuel Diaz had been held captive for nearly two weeks, despite a massive push by the Colombian government to have him set free. Today, we look at how the kidnapping took place, the group behind it, and how Diaz’s teammates -- and the soccer community -- ulti...

At age 22, in his fourth year in the league, Anthony Edwards is on the verge of making the leap to NBA superstardom — a journey that can be traced back to the gritty neighborhood in southwest Atlanta that made him who he is. Today, we look at Edwards’s unlikely rise, and full circle return to his hometown, and the loving family that propelled him forward in the aftermath of tragedy. Plus, the...

In Week 8, Joe Burrow boarded the Bengals' team plane in an alien mask — then went into alien mode in a dominant performance against one of the NFL's best teams. That was a welcome sight for the Bengals, eight weeks into a season where the franchise QB has mostly looked like anything but himself. Today, we revisit the team's tumultuous start, and the injury that threatened to derail Cincy’s S...

Iowa's Caitlin Clark rewrote almost every individual record in women's college basketball last season, and led the Hawkeyes to within a game of a national championship. What followed can only be described as "Caitlin Clark Mania" -- a series of honors that included everything from bobblehead dolls to a butter sculpture. lToday, we break down Clark's evolution as a player and her contributions to t...

It is the World Series showdown that basically no one saw coming: Bruce Bochy’s Wild Card Texas Rangers, against a team that finished 16 games back in their own division — Torey Lovullo and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Today, we break down the low points that both of these teams had to navigate just to get here. Plus, the story of the journeyman outfielder (Adolis Garcia) who knocked out the reigning...

Last week, the Las Vegas Aces became the first back-to-back WNBA champions in more than two decades. And, as we have come to expect with the Aces, they let everyone know just how much fun they would be having at the championship parade. But along with all the winning and the highly visible fun, the Aces have also been quietly transforming the WNBA. Today, we explain how the Aces have gone from an...

The Milwaukee Bucks became the favorites to win the NBA title the moment they swung the blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard. But along with all the excitement from that trade, Milwaukee is also facing some big questions. How will this team respond to the loss of one of its most popular players, Jrue Holiday? Can they break the trend set by some recent super teams, with a first-year head coach in...

U.S.A. Track and Field star Noah Lyles caused quite a stir back in August when he called out NBA players for referring to themselves as “World Champions" after winning their league title. Several NBA All-Stars -- and even Drake -- took issue with his words, and did some verbal sparring online. But Lyles's comments were part of a wider campaign to elevate himself and his sport to new heights. Today...

Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have unleashed an offense that has taken the NFL by storm, with some of the fastest players in the league (including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert) powering them to point totals we haven’t seen since the 1960s. Today, we look at three key factors fueling the Miami offense, and whether the comparisons to the St. Louis Rams’ “Great...

The NBA has been wrestling with a thorny issue for several years now – star players sitting out regular season games, even when they’re healthy. Fans are mad about it. TV broadcasters are mad about it. And now, the NBA has put new rules in place to try and prevent it from happening. Will the rules work? Could they potentially backfire? And what's at stake for the league? Guest: Jon Krawczynski, Th...

Ronald Acuña Jr. has had a season unlike any other in Major League Baseball history, becoming the first player with 40+ home runs and 70+ stolen bases in the same year. But leading up to this dream season, the Atlanta Braves outfielder endured a stretch of his career that was anything but a fairy tale. Today, we look at how Acuña went from his lowest point as a player, to heights that no one has e...

What exactly happened when Bronny James collapsed on a USC basketball court in late July? How were his teammates impacted? Ryan Kartje of the LA Times brings us some new details, and discusses what all of this mean for Bronny's -- and LeBron's -- future. Guest: Ryan Kartje , Los Angeles Times Read Ryan's full story here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice...