The Lead

Jrue Holiday. Gordon Hayward. Montrezl Harrell. The NBA off-season is in full-swing and several players have already made big moves. The Athletic’s John Hollinger joins us to break down the biggest signings (some great, some questionable), the moves that could happen in the coming days, and which teams are looking most like title contenders. More from John Hollinger: https://theathletic.com/author...

The Indiana Hoosiers have been arguably the biggest surprise in college football this season, thanks in part to their high-energy head coach, Tom Allen, and emerging star quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz to look at just how good this Indiana team is, whether they have a chance against No. 3 Ohio State this weekend, and why Penix mania has taken over...

Joe Burrow is just over halfway through his rookie season and, while his team has not been great, he has been. In addition to putting up big numbers and closing in on the rookie record for 300-yard games in a season, Burrow has also become the face of the franchise overnight and has stirred up more excitement among Bengals fans than anyone in recent memory. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. joins us...

LaMelo Ball is projected by many to be the first overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, the culmination of a basketball journey that has taken him from California to Lithuania to Ohio to Australia. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Joe Vardon to discuss LaMelo’s growth and setbacks during his basketball odyssey, and why LaVar Ball’s youngest son remains such a polarizing player.   Read Jo...

For more than two decades, Kim Ng has been expected to become the first woman to be named general manager of a Major League Baseball team. On Friday, that happened when the Miami Marlins announced that she would be leading their franchise. The Athletic’s Molly Knight, who got to know Ng during her time with the Dodgers, joins us to reflect on the veteran's long journey to becoming a sports pioneer...

A last-minute Hail Mary pass to pull out a dramatic victory, a quarterback catching a touchdown pass, and an NFL team stranded on the tarmac for over seven hours -- Week Ten of the NFL season was all totally, perfectly normal. The Athletic's Robert Mays joins us to break down the drama of an unforgettable weekend, and to offer his expert analysis of Kyler Murray, Tom Brady, the surging Miami Dolph...

Last weekend, the world lost an icon when legendary Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, who recently spoke to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers about his lifelong love of the show, his admiration of Trebek, and his experience meeting him as a Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant in 2015. Read Matt Schneidman’s...

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers are the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team, but they’ve had a number of extremely close games this season, including a narrow escape against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly to look at how Roethlisberger and the Steelers have managed to keep winning, and just how easily the whole thing could fall apart....

Portland Trailblazers guard Gary Trent Jr. turned heads in this year’s NBA playoffs with a breakout performance and impressive shooting from behind the arc. But not a lot of people knew about the journey he was embarking on off the court. The Athletic’s Jason Quick has the story of the rising star's relationship with his childhood best friend, who suffered a terrible accident two years ago, and ho...

On Sunday night, in a much-anticipated showdown against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 38-3 — the most lopsided loss of Brady’s NFL career. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Greg Auman to break down what went wrong for Brady and Bruce Arians on Sunday night, whether or not it was a sign of things to come, and why the team is taking a cha...

Four years ago, Notre Dame was 4-8. Two years ago, when they squared off against Clemson in the Cotton Bowl, they got scorched 30-3. But even as the Fighting Irish have struggled lately, head coach Brian Kelly and his staff have quietly been putting the pieces in place to compete with the country's top programs -- and on Saturday, they did just that, defeating #1 ranked Clemson 47-40 in double OT....

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government did something that it later apologized for and called a grave error: it rounded up and forcibly relocated tens of thousands of Japanese Americans, moving them to internment camps, where they lived in extremely harsh conditions for years. Inside one of those camps, near Topaz, Utah, a high school football team was formed and surprised many of t...

So far in 2020, one of the most exciting players in college football has been Kansas State’s 5-foot-5, 168-pound running back, Deuce Vaughn. Today, The Athletic’s Max Olson on what makes the freshman phenom so difficult to stop, how he ended up at Kansas State, and whether he — like former Wildcats star Darren Sproles — has the potential to land in the NFL. Read Max Olson’s story about D...

Mookie Betts is known to be one of the most competitive people in sports, and that drive helped him lead the Dodgers to their first World Series title since 1988. So, how did the star outfielder end up that way? And what makes him tick? The Athletic's Pedro Moura takes us inside the mind of Mookie Betts, and explains his unusual approach to baseball and his obsession with bowling. This episode fir...

After yer another loss, the New England Patriots are now 2-5 and all but out of the playoffs. And that means the question that people love to ask is being asked yet again, and with even more fervor -- is the Patriots dynasty officially over? The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, who has covered the Pats for more than a decade, joins us to discuss what has gone wrong in New England, if there’s any chance the P...

On Sunday, Tua Tagovailoa got his first start for the Dolphins and picked up a win over the Rams, almost one year after the hip injury that ended his career at Alabama. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Josh Tolentino to discuss why Miami turned to Tagovailoa now, how he played in his debut, and the bond that has formed between the rookie and the player he replaced — veteran quarterback Ryan F...

Legendary hockey broadcaster Mike 'Doc' Emrick announced his retirement last week. Known for his meticulous preparation, his incredible voice, and his unparalleled vocabulary, Doc has called many of the biggest moments in NHL history. The Athletic's Craig Custance, who has known Doc for many years and recently interviewed him about his retirement, joins us to talk about what the iconic play-by-pla...

It’s been a 32-year wait for the Dodgers and their fans, but L.A. can finally celebrate a World Series victory once again. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Pedro Moura to look at the strange night in Texas when the Dodgers won the title, with the stunning decision to remove Blake Snell early, some late fireworks from Mookie Betts, and the surreal scene that unfolded after Justin Turner’s posi...

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson picked up yet another injury on Sunday in his team's overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The fourth-year player has had to overcome an incredible number of injuries in his relatively short NFL career, but that has allowed him to move closer toward a goal that he has been pursuing for many years. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar has the story of the...

It’s been a rough start to the season for the Philadelphia Eagles, but they’re still in first place in the NFC East, thanks in part to some impressive play from their new left tackle, Jordan Mailata. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Bo Wulf to discuss Mailata’s amazing journey from rugby player in Australia to starting NFL offensive lineman, and all the challenges he has faced — includin...

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has developed into one of best -- if not  the  best -- tight ends in the NFL. Coming into Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, which the 49ers won easily, he was second in the league among tight ends in receiving yards despite missing two games. The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman has been following Kittle since his days at the Universit...

Doris Burke has been there for many of the biggest moments in NBA history, whether it's on the court after a championship game, asking questions to superstars like LeBron James or Steph Curry, or calling games from beside the court. During her pioneering career, she has earned the respect of players, coaches, and fans, and has become a role model for many women in sports broadcasting. The Athletic...

The Carolina Panthers made a lot of changes this past offseason. They brought in a new head coach (Matt Rhule), a new quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater), and a new offensive coordinator (Joe Brady). They also added a speedy wideout who has taken his game to new heights: Robby Anderson. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Joe Person to look at the factors that have contributed to Anderson’s big brea...

Twenty years ago, Neil Parry and the San Jose State football team were in the midst of the program's most successful season in years. But then, Parry's football career and his life were upended by a gruesome injury in a game against conference rival University of Texas El Paso, which resulted in him losing the lower portion of his right leg. The Athletic's Jimmy Durkin tells the story of Parry's u...

The Tampa Bay Rays are back in the World Series for the first time since 2008, and rookie outfielder Randy Arozarena is a huge reason why. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris to discuss Arozarena’s journey from Cuba to Mexico to the big leagues, his penchant for dance-offs against teammates, and the adjustments that have led to his massive postseason breakout. Read Eno Sarris's story...