The Lead

The last time we saw the Indianapolis Colts in a regular season game, they were blowing what was calculated as a 97 percent chance of making the playoffs, as they dropped their final game of the season to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a loss that left a lot of people — including the team’s owner, Jim Irsay — in disbelief, and it led to a major change at quarterback: Matt Ryan in,...

Plus: A matchup of championship contenders in the WNBA playoffs. And a young slugger ties down his future for a long, LONG time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Earlier this year, four female college athletes died by suicide in just eight weeks. Those deaths stunned many people, and reopened a conversation about mental health among student-athletes — particularly female student-athletes. One important new voice in that conversation belongs to Cailin Bracken, a junior lacrosse player at Vanderbilt. With college sports about to resume, Cailin joins us today...

When you look across the landscape of Major League Baseball, it’s clear that the biggest surprise among all the division leaders is the team that sits at the top of the AL Central: the Cleveland Guardians. Today, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel joins us to look at some of the key players behind the team’s success, and the extreme throwback style they’re using to get it done. Plus, the uncanny ability o...

Plus: Tom Brady’s strange week ends up in the land of conspiracy theories. And a historic heavyweight bout could be on the cards – if the price is right.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last weekend, Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford, a club that has only been in the Premier League for two seasons, and that last defeated mighty Man United in 1938. And for many supporters of the Red Devils, who have suffered through nearly a decade of frustration and disappointment, it felt like a new low point for the club. So what, exactly, has gone wrong at Manchester United? How have the...

As a rookie, Ja’Marr Chase had one of the most spectacular rookie seasons you’ll see, pilling up 1,455 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns, and making highlight-reel catches all the way through a showdown with Jalen Ramsey in the Super Bowl. What made that even more stunning — beyond just the numbers — is that Chase pulled it off after some high-profile struggles early on. Today, we’re joined by Th...

Plus: The Padres are not happy with their statue contract slugger. And Erik Ten Hag wants everyone to know that United aren’t losing because of him.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last week, the man that many people consider the greatest sports broadcaster of all time, Vin Scully, died at the age of 94. For 67 years, Scully was the iconic and unmistakable voice of the Dodgers, who started out calling games in Brooklyn in 1950, and signed off for the final time in 2016. Today, five writers share their memories of Vin Scully the broadcaster, the storyteller, and the person.&n...

Last week, NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell passed away at age 88. In his 13 years with the Boston Celtics, the 6-foot-10 center -- who changed the way basketball was played -- won 11 NBA championships, including two while serving as a player-coach. (That also made him the first Black head coach of a professional North American sports team). But those who knew Russell admired him...

Plus: Two young superstars don’t waste any time making their marks in the Premier League. And a 20,000 to 1 shot takes home one of golf’s most storied titles.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Over the last few weeks, few teams across Major League Baseball have been hotter than the extremely talented, previously disappointing — and suddenly surging — Toronto Blue Jays. Today, we're joined by The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath to look at why this team came up short in the first half, and three key factors that have helped power their turnaround — including emerging young ace Alek M...

Back in March, the Chargers made a big bet on former Patriots defensive back J.C. Jackson, an undrafted free agent in 2018 who had a staggering journey just to reach the NFL. When Jackson was 19 years old, he was facing the possibility of anywhere from 40 years to life in prison in connection with an armed robbery. Today, Jeff Miller from the L.A. Times tells us the story of Jackson's football ody...

A sexual assault allegation involving members of Canada's 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship team has reached the highest levels of government and dominated the airwaves in Canada recently. Investigative reporter Katie Strang of The Athletic joins us to discuss the details of the case, and why it has sparked a national moment of reckoning. *Warning*: This episode contains descriptions of se...

The Tour de France wrapped up in Paris this past Sunday, along the famous Champs-Elysées. And on that very same day, on that very same road, something historic happened -- a Women's Tour de France began. Today, reporter Maggie Mertens explains why it took nearly 120 years for the world's most famous cycling competition to finally offer a truly professional women’s stage race, and how it was born f...

Plus: U.S. track and field’s newest supernova blows away the competition And cycling’s newest rivalry comes with a side of sportsmanship.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This spring, eight-time Pro Bowler Von Miller announced that he was leaving the reigning Super Bowl champions — the L.A. Rams — to join the Buffalo Bills. It was a decision that surprised a lot of people, and also one that almost didn’t happen. Today, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei tells us why Miller ultimately chose upstate New York over the bright lights of Hollywood, and about the gut check mo...

Fans of the U.S. women's national soccer team have been hearing the same names for quite a few years. But now, a new generation of players is starting to take over. Today, reporter Gwendolyn Oxenham gives us an inside look at one of those up-and-coming stars -- 22-year-old defender Naomi Girma -- and explains how her unlikely rise to stardom was fueled by an entire community of people. Plus,...

Plus: One of baseball’s brightest young stars may be on the move. And the Chosen One takes his talents to a high school gym in South L.A. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last weekend, Novak Djokovic won his fourth consecutive WImbledon title. But the real story of the tournament wasn't the Serbian superstar. It was opponent in the final -- the highly polarizing Nick Kyrgios. The talented Australian dominated headlines for two weeks, thanks to his usual brand of entertaining, breathtaking tennis, coupled with a series of hotly debated actions -- spitting toward a f...

We have less than one week to go until the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, and during the first half of the season, we’ve seen a near-record-setting pace from the Yankees, more absurd pitching/hitting superlatives from Shohei Ohtani, and a Braves-Mets NL East showdown that is heating up in a hurry. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt to look at one key storyline to watch in each MLB divi...

Plus: Nick Kyrgios can’t upend Djokovic’s winning ways at Wimbledon. And MLB’s All Star Game turns into a family affair. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

On Tuesday night, after seven weeks on the sidelines due to an oblique injury, 37-year-old Max Scherzer made his return for the Mets, and looked like… Max Scherzer — right down to a play where he nearly barreled over teammate Pete Alonso on a routine pop fly to first. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd, who recently talked to a number of Scherzer’s former catchers and coaches t...

This spring, the tragic deaths of several college athletes again opened a conversation about mental health and college sports. In light of that, we’re replaying an episode that originally aired back in September, 2019. It's the incredible stories of two elite college football players whose lives followed very different paths – one tragic, and one uplifting – and what we can learn from their storie...

Last week, many of the top college basketball players in the country heard their names called in the NBA draft. But others, including some of the most recognizable names in the game, decided to stay in school for another year instead -- in part because of NIL money. Today, The Athletic’s CJ Moore and Eamonn Brennan explain why college hoops is becoming an increasingly attractive option for college...