The Lead

It's been an eventful few days for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Thursday it was revealed that MLB was inspecting baseballs used by the team's new star pitcher, Trevor Bauer, in a game against the Oakland A's -- and that the balls had visible markings and were sticky, according to an exclusive report from The Athletic. The following day, the team played its home opener in Dodger Stadium, in front of...

If you’ve been near a screen in the last six months or so, there’s a pretty decent chance you’ve heard the terms NBA Top Shot and NFT, which have star athletes ranging from Rob Gronkowski to Patrick Mahomes to Bryson DeChambeau getting in on the action. Today, The Athletic’s Bill Shea explains exactly what NBA Top Shot and NFTs are, why pro sports leagues are supporting them, and whether the whole...

By 1989, the Chicago White Sox knew they needed to refresh their image. The team had struggled for years and became known for their constantly changing uniforms. Then, thanks to some savvy marketing and a team of high-profile stars, the South Siders managed to create a brand that has survived the test of time. Today, The Athletic's Jon Greenberg joins us to talk about why the White Sox logo resona...

On Friday, many people were caught off guard by Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to move the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game out of Georgia, in response to the state's controversial new voting law and growing public pressure. And on Tuesday, MLB announced that the game would instead be held in Colorado. Amidst all the noise and political posturing surrounding the decision, The Athletic...

When Brandon Staley first spoke to the media as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year, he went out of his way to give credit to his parents. As it turns out, Staley’s commitment to his family — and to his twin brother Jason — led to an unlikely connection that helped spark his career as a coach. Today, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper joins us to tell that story, and to lo...

The Stanford Cardinal and head coach Tara VanDerveer captured their first women's basketball national championship in twenty-nine years on Sunday, narrowly beating out Arizona. The Athletic's Chantel Jennings joins us to break down both teams's remarkable journey just to get to the title game, why Stanford managed to persevere, and how Arizona’s 5-foot-6 superstar Aari McDonald came up just short...

The Final Four is here, and Gonzaga is poised to make history. The Zags are set to be the first men's team to go undefeated for an entire season since the Indiana Hoosiers pulled off the feat in 1976. So the question is: Who can stop Mark Few's team from making history? Today, The Athletic's Brian Hamilton joins us to talk about Gonzaga's quest for immortality, UCLA's cinderella run, Houston's tou...

After a strange and abbreviated 60-game season in 2020, it’s finally time for Major League Baseball’s 2021 Opening Day — which is happening right on time. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli to look at some of the story lines that will define the 2021 season, including the Yankees borrowing a page from the NBA to manage their injury problems, huge expectations for Shohei Ohtani,...

Minnesota Timberwolves executive John Thomas grew up just a few blocks away from the convenience store where George Floyd was killed. Since that tragic incident, which inspired a national reckoning and global movement, Thomas has been on a mission to build bridges and inspire change in his old neighborhood in South Minneapolis. The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski recently took a stroll through the area...

For much of this season, the Dallas Mavericks have been a difficult team to figure out, and on the surface they looked like one of the league’s biggest disappointments during an 8-13 start. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Tim Cato to go behind the scenes of their roller coaster campaign, breaking down all the hurdles that Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and the Mavs had to clear, and why thi...

The NFL Offseason is in full swing. There have been draft disrupting trades, big money signings, and some moves that left people scratching their heads. Today, The Athletic's Mike Sando joins us to talk about some of the key storylines from the free agency period and if anyone has done enough to unseat the defending champs. You can read Mike Sando's NFL coverage here: https://theathletic.com/autho...

On Thursday, a couple of the Lakers’ top rivals made notable moves at the NBA trade deadline, with the Nuggets picking up Aaron Gordon, and the Clippers adding former Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo. Meanwhile, the defending champs — who are currently without LeBron James and Anthony Davis — did nothing. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Bill Oram to look at why the Lakers didn’t make chan...

On Tuesday, UConn Women's Basketball coasted past Syracuse into its 27th consecutive Sweet Sixteen. One of the key drivers of the Huskies success this season is Freshman star Paige Bueckers. And the 19-year-old guard is more than just a basketball prodigy, she's also a social media sensation who has more Instagram follower than people like Justin Fields and Jalen Suggs. Today, The Athletic’s Charl...

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper won his first hockey championship more than two decades ago, and far from the spotlight of the NHL. At the time, he was an underpaid, 32-year-old public defender and first-year head coach with the Lansing Catholic High School Cougars -- a position that the former college lacrosse player was arguably not even qualified for at the time. The Athletic's Joe Sm...

Three years after their remarkable run to the Final Four, the Loyola Chicago Ramblers are at it again, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after knocking off No. 1-seeded Illinois over the weekend. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton to discuss the return of 101-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean, star player Cameron Krutwig and his lucky mustache, and why this team c...

The New York Mets had an eventful off-season. First, the team was purchased by billionaire Steve Cohen who made big promises about a new day for Mets baseball. Cohen initially appeared to be living up to that pledge when the team traded for Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor — one of the brightest young stars in baseball. But shortly after that blockbuster acquisition, the Mets found themselves mi...

A third lawsuit has been filed against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, and the NFL announced on Thursday that it is launching its own investigation into the matter. The Athletic's Aaron Reiss, who covers the Texans, joins us to discuss the latest, including the colorful lawyers on both sides, and how the lawsuits could impact the future of a man who has been the subject of endless trade...

A few weeks ago at the Golden Globes, Jason Sudeikis won the award for Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy for his performance as Ted Lasso, the American football coach who goes to England to coach professional soccer. It turns out that character is based, in part, on a real-life coach from Sudeikis’s past. The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd recently tracked down that coach, and Rustin joins us t...

It was one of the strangest moments in hockey history. During a nationally-televised NHL playoff game in 2018, Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand leaned in close to a Tampa Bay Lightning opponent...and licked his face. And it was the second time Marchand had done this in two weeks. But since then, the frequently suspended and widely loathed winger has not faced disciplinary action by the NHL a singl...

Need a little help on your office pool bracket? Or are you just really excited to watch the drama of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament unfold? Either way, The Athletic's Seth Davis, who also covers the tournament for CBS Sports, has you covered. Seth joins us to explain who he thinks will win it all, who might self-implode, and who could become the feel-good stories of the year. Check out Seth...

So far during this NBA season, you can make an argument that no player has had a bigger impact on his team’s success than Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider to look at why the triple-double threat is playing the best basketball of his life, and the unexpected similarities between him and one of the game’s all-time greats, Tim Duncan. Read Nick K...

Dawn Staley is one of the most accomplished players and coaches in basketball history. Over the past 13 years, she's built a powerhouse program at the University of South Carolina, and recently took home her sixth SEC championship in the past seven years. Outside of her basketball accomplishments Staley has become well-known for her outspoken approach to social and political issues. Today, The Ath...

The Portland Trail Blazers start the second half of their season with a big matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. And so far, they’ve gotten another MVP-caliber season from point guard Damian Lillard. However, over the last 18 months, Lillard has endured a wave of tragedies in his life outside of basketball. The Athletic’s Jason Quick recently spoke to Lillard, and today, he joins us...

Back in October, the Detroit Tigers hired a new manager, and normally, a last place team making such a move would fly under the radar. But the Tigers didn’t hire just any manager — they hired A.J. Hinch. The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen recently did a long interview with the former Astros manager, and he joins us today to talk about what Hinch’s life has been like since the sign-stealing scandal, h...

Over the past year and a half, Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland has established himself as one of the best goal scorers in world soccer. At just 20 years of age, the Norwegian is already rewriting the record books and hoping to carry his team to Champions League glory. Today, the Athletic's Raphael Honigstein describes how a combination of preternatural athletic prowess and an extreme dedication...