The Lead

Plus: Will Chelsea's new American owners spend (enough) money to keep the fans happy? And tensions simmer between Golden State and Memphis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Despite being loaded with talent — including two of the two best players in baseball in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani — the Los Angeles Angels have struggled to put things together in recent seasons. After a red hot start, is that changing? The Athletic’s Sam Blum joins us to explain what’s different about the Angels this season — and what’s not. Also: the story of what’s gone wrong — live on the a...

Plus: The NFL is headed to… Deutschland? And a collegiate golfer makes history with the help of Steph Curry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

American basketball star Brittney Griner has now been in the custody of Russian authorities for more than two months, following her arrest in a Russian airport for alleged drug violations. But after some big developments this past week -- including the release of American prisoner Trevor Reed -- there's new reason to be optimistic about her case. Today, we dive into her story. Then, with the WNBA...

Plus: Tyrann Mathieu finally finds a new home. And is this the last dance for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the Steel City? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Plus: Can the Suns find a way to slow down Luka Dončić? And the round one NHL playoff matchup you don’t want to miss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

During a dominant first-round sweep over the Brooklyn Nets, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics started to look like a legitimate threat to win the NBA title. Today, The Athletic’s Jason Quick tells us how the Celtics — and first-year head coach Ime Udoka — found their way after a rocky start, with the help of two of Udoka’s longtime friends, and some swagger borrowed from a professional boxer. Pl...

Plus: Will James Harden shoot the ball tonight? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

For weeks now, we've been hearing a lot about the supposedly scandalous 'Yankee Letter' -- sent by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to the New York Yankees back in 2017, and related to possible sign stealing violations. But now that the contents of that letter have come to light (as of Tuesday), it's clear that the story behind the letter is more interesting than the letter itself. Today, we dive into...

On today's Starting Five (the new podcast we're developing at The Lead), we run down five of today's biggest sports stories, including: what comes next for the Brooklyn Nets, why Georgia's Travon Walker is suddenly the odds-on pick to go #1 in the NFL Draft, a high school basketball player who is going pro but not taking a paycheck, and more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...

Today, we're giving listeners a sneak peek of the new spin-off podcast we've been developing: 'The Lead: Starting Five.' We break down five of the biggest sports stories of the day, in 10 minutes. On today's episode, we preview the Nets' do-or-die game against the Celtics, explain why beers and insults were flying in Yankee Stadium over the weekend, look at why fans of French club PSG walked out o...

When the NFL Draft gets underway next Thursday, one of the most intriguing prospects to hear his name called will be Malik Willis, the cannon-armed — and very fast — quarterback out of Liberty University. Today, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe tells us how Willis went from unheralded high school passer in Atlanta, to third-string QB at Auburn, to now potentially the first quarterback off the bo...

Back in the day, Steve "Mongo" McMichael, a defensive tackle on the 1985 Chicago Bears, was known for his bone-crunching hits and colorful off-the-field endeavors -- including rattlesnake hunting and professional wrestling. But now, at age 64, the former Super Bowl champ is in a very different kind of fight. The Athletic's Dan Pompei recently spent time with McMichael and those closest to him at h...

The NBA Playoffs get underway on Saturday, and there are intriguing storylines in every direction, from Giannis Antetokounmpo trying to lead the Bucks to a repeat, to star players — including Steph Curry and Luka Doncic — racing the clock to return from injuries. Today, The Athletic’s Zach Harper helps us break down the key subplots in every first-round matchup, and makes his picks to reach —...

Baseball season is just a week old, but we’ve already been hearing a lot about a new technology that allows MLB pitchers and catchers to communicate with the push of a button, and thereby prevent sign-stealing -- PitchCom. And it turns out, the seemingly magical technology was, in fact, invented by two magicians. Today, The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan introduces us to those two magicians, describes h...

We have some exciting news to share! We are in the process of developing a new spin-off podcast, and as part of that process, we're shifting The Lead to two days per week instead of five, beginning this week. We'll now be publishing new episodes of The Lead on Wednesdays and Fridays. It'll still be the same show, but with a different publishing schedule. And stay tuned for more updates on the new...

Last summer, the world watched in shock and disbelief as Danish soccer star Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during a Euro 2020 game, broadcast on live television. Doctors rushed onto the field and resuscitated him from what was later identified as cardiac arrest. Now, ten months later, Christian Eriksen is back on the field -- and looking better than ever. The Athletic's Jay Harris, who c...

After all the chaos of the lockout, and the sprint through an abbreviated spring training, Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is here. To get ready for the season, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris, who breaks down five bold predictions for 2022, including his expectations for the always-overachieving Tampa Bay Rays, and the wildly intriguing — but often injured — Twins outfielder By...

After enduring a tough start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the last 3 months. Luka Doncic is back to his MVP-level form and with the help of some key additions at the trade deadline the Slovenian star is hoping to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his career. Today, The Athletic’s Tim Cato joins us to talk about ho...

There was a time when high school football players would decide where they wanted to go to college by visiting a few schools, talking to coaches, and then making a decision with their family. But those days are long gone. Today, The Athletic's Ari Wasserman takes us inside the over-the-top world of college football recruiting, and explains how one specific aspect of recruiting -- the photoshoot --...

This year's race for NBA Most Valuable Player is one of the tightest in recent memory. Two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo is making a strong push to become just the ninth three-time winner. The reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, is putting up historic numbers night after night. And in Philadelphia, Sixers center Joel Embiid kept his team at the top of the East through a tumultuous year while aver...

The Women's Final Four tips off tonight, and there are some mouth-watering matchups: Top-ranked South Carolina, led by national player of the year Aliyah Boston, square off against relative underdogs Louisville, led by fiery guard Haley Van Lith. Then, UConn will play in its fourteenth consecutive Final Four (yes, you read that correctly), and will hope that shooting sensation Paige Bueckers can l...

We are in unprecedented territory in the men’s NCAA Tournament, with a March Madness matchup we’ve never seen before: Duke vs. UNC, on Saturday night, in New Orleans. Today, The Athletic’s Brendan Marks — who covers both teams for The Athletic — takes us behind the scenes to look at key turning points for the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels, and how Mike Krzyzewski and Hubert Davis have go...

After dispiritingly missing out in 2018, The U.S. Men are once again on the brink of World Cup qualification thanks in large part to the play of star forward Christian Pulisic. The Chelsea winger has endured an up and down campaign with his club in recent months, but on the back of a recent upturn in form the 22-year-old came into the National Team setup with a point to prove. Today, The Athletic’...

We’re moving into the homestretch of the NHL regular season, which means the greatest postseason of them all – the NHL playoffs – are just a few weeks away. Today, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek gives us an early look at the NHL playoff picture, explains which teams made smart moves at the trade deadline, and states, with impressive confidence, which teams will meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. More...