For Washington Commanders fans, the Daniel Snyder ownership era was a brutal 24-year stretch. The once proud franchise became a laughingstock both on the football field and off, as the NFL and Congress launched various investigations into misconduct, sexual harassment, and financial improprieties.  Then in 2023, financial executive Josh Harris bought the team and oversaw its decision to draft budding superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels. Even with close losses to good teams over the last two weeks, optimism in the nation’s capital is at its highest level in decades.  Actor Jeffery Wright has lived that story. The Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning performer has not only been rooting for the burgundy and gold since the Nixon administration, but also grew up with Josh Harris. And that made him the perfect person to help our resident D.C. native Clinton Yates explore a complicated relationship with the Commanders.  Today, we dig into all that, as well as Wright’s love for Arsenal, his days as a Lacrosse player, and his new TV series “The Agency.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 weeks into the NFL season, playoff possibilities are starting to take shape. But who has a shot at each conferences’ coveted Number 1 seed? It's the envious position every team desires as it ensures not only an extra week of rest and recovery when the playoffs start, but also home field advantage all the way through the conference championship round. That would be the easy road to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. So today, we are joined by our intrepid NFL expert Bill Barnwell, who looks at every squad that could take the top spot, but he also saves room on his plate for another serving of Tommy Cutlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A generation later, the images of one of the worst scenes to ever take place in an NBA arena are still shocking. A cup full of liquid hurtling through the air, striking Indiana Pacers small forward Ron Artest, and setting off a powder keg - as coaches, security, members of the Pacers, and fans came to blows in the stands, the tunnel, and on the court itself. When the bad blood between the Pacers and rival Detroit Pistons boiled over in Auburn Hills, it was impossible to ignore the sight of mostly black players clashing with mostly white fans. And elements around the NBA used the ugly night, and fear that it caused, to force changes in the NBA dress code that could only be called draconian today. So Andscape senior writer David Dennis Jr. joins Clinton Yates to remember how it all went down, and explore how it changed the NBA forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There was a lot of action across the NFL in week 11. And games ending on blocked field goals in back to back weeks was just the tip of the iceberg.  Because even as the Chicago Bears failed to end their now 11 game losing streak against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field, we also saw Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and the rest of the Detroit Lions put up a league high 52 points on a hapless Jacksonville Jaguars team missing Trevor Lawrence. In one of Sunday’s marquee matchups between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, The Steel Curtain burst out of the past, stifling MVP front runner Lamar Jackson. While in Orchard Park, Josh Allen put on his Superman cape and handed Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season. So Mercury Morris and all of the 1972 Miami Dolphins can pop some champagne and relax as they remain the lone undefeated team in NFL history. Ben Solak takes us through what stood out to him in week 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, UFC 309 will take place, and the main event will be the long-delayed match between arguably the greatest of all time in Jon Jones and possibly the greatest heavyweight of all time in Stipe Miocic.  Even though these two are getting all the hype, there are still plenty of questions. Is this the fight everyone wants to see? What do these two fighters have to prove? When it’s over, will these two legends fight anymore or walk away with their legacies? And what about interim champion, Tom Aspinall? Where does he fit into all this drama?  To clear all this up, our combat sports expert Andreas Hale joins us to break down everything we should be watching for Saturday night and why – when it’s all said and done – we still might have more questions than answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1986, 20-year-old Mike Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight Champion ever, kicking off four years of utter dominance that made him one of the biggest icons in sports. But by the time he officially retired in 2005, it was hard to imagine ever seeing him in a ring again. So news that, in 2024, he would fight a 27-year-old Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned fight caught everyone by surprise.  Today, Andreas Hale joins David Dennis Jr. to explain why Mike Tyson remains a fixture of sports culture and explores whether or not Friday’s bout versus Jake Paul is actually a good idea.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bears were already a mess coming into last Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots. But since they fell 19-3 to the hapless Pats at Soldier Field, things have gotten even worse.  On Tuesday, head coach Matt Eberflus announced the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as one last hail mary to try and rescue this season. Courtney Cronin covers the Bears and is here to discuss what made this team crumble and what is to come for quarterback Caleb Williams and the whole team as they face some of the best teams in the NFL in the coming weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA season is officially in full swing and for many it’s a start that no one could have predicted. Who would have thought that even a few weeks into the season the Milwaukee Bucks would be fighting to stay out of the NBA cellar? Or that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be putting up numbers that King James couldn’t even muster during his reign? And let’s not forget the Golden State Warriors, who are going back to their old championship playbook and now find themselves sitting near the top of an elite Western Conference. But the drama by the Bay doesn’t end there, because tonight the Warriors welcome home Splash Brother Klay Thompson, who is making his first appearance in a Mavs uniform. Brian Windhorst joins us to sort out everything we’ve seen so far and gives a sneak peek at what might be coming next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coming into the season, few, if any, NFL watchers would have picked the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals to win their divisions. But here we are, after ten weeks of play, and both teams are in first place and control their own destiny toward a division title. For each of them, the sudden resurgence of once written-off quarterbacks have been a crucial piece of the puzzle.  Today, Ben Solak joins Michele Steele to break down how Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray got their grooves back. Plus, the Niners get a bittersweet win, the Lions pull off the strangest of victories, and the Commanders try to make sense of costly mistakes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The National Women's Soccer League playoffs kick off tonight with a matchup between No. 1 Orlando Pride and No. 8 Chicago Red Stars, followed by more quarterfinal round matches on Saturday and Sunday.  But both on and off the pitch, the NWSL has arrived in a new era. Jeff Kassouf, lead women’s soccer writer at ESPN, is here to discuss the league’s recent seismic shifts, including the players’ new collective bargaining agreement – both the unprecedented power it gives players and the ripple effect it’s creating for management.  Plus, a preview of the game action itself, including a primer for the less-initiated into the league’s most exciting players like Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda, and what to watch for in the most-anticipated matchups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jerry Jones has built the Dallas Cowboys into the most valuable sports franchise in the world. But the 28 years since they last won a Super Bowl have been marked by a remarkable string of playoff failure. And this season, after three losses in a row, it looks like the letdowns in Big D will continue.  Back in the offseason, former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz identified a challenge very unique to Jerry’s team when he said “there’s [fans] literally going on tours while you’re lifting in the weight room… it’s a zoo.” That comment caught the attention of our Kalyn Kahler, who was inspired to take a closer look at these fan tours of the team’s facility and how they’ve become a significant distraction for the players.  So with the rival Eagles looking to put a fork in the Cowboys season on Sunday, Kalyn Kahler brings us her report from inside “The Star” and explores how Jones obsession with the spotlight has put the quest for another title in perpetual peril.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dawn of a new college basketball season is here, and as we have all learned, change,and lots of it, is the new normal. From rosters rebuilt through the transfer portal, to programs making a name for themselves with the power of NIL deals – all we can say is welcome back to the chaos on the road to the Madness. There are some notable faces to follow this year like Cooper Flagg, the generational talent looking to bring a title to Duke and the duo of dynamic freshman at Rutgers (yes Rutgers) aiming to bring glory to New Jersey. Today, Myron Medcalf, our resident college basketball expert, joins us today to break down everything to look for this season and to tell us why we should be embracing all this change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who’s in and who’s out? Tonight’s reveal of the college football playoff rankings should serve as a less contentious appetizer to your election night viewing. And with the sport expanding the field to twelve teams for the first time in history, the eager anticipation is coupled with some confusion about how this whole thing is going to work.   Today, Heather Dinich, who’s been using her weekly column to play-act as a committee-of-one all season, is here to answer all your questions. How can a school like BYU get a higher seeding than blue bloods Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, and Alabama? How might Boise State edge out teams ranked higher than them? Are Coach Prime and Colorado really still alive? Heather explains it all and examines why the new format could make for the most exciting post-season we’ve ever seen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The end of the action on Sunday afternoon marked the mathematical midpoint of the 2024 NFL season. Exactly 186 games had been played, and Sunday Night’s matchup between the Colts and Vikings kicked off the season’s second half. So we figured it was time to check in on some teams midterm grades. Michele Steele and Ben Solak go through who is acing text after test across the league, and who could use a little extra time in study hall.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hype for an all time classic World Series was real when the Dodgers-Yankees matchup was locked in. Two of the most iconic franchises in MLB history battling for a ring for the 12th time in history, and the game's two biggest stars — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge – shining on baseball’s biggest stage. But in the end, this series was over before it even got started, and the Dodgers celebrated their 8th world championship on enemy soil. So today, ESPN Daily’s own Clinton Yates reports from the heart of New York City to explain what happened in The Bronx and explore how legacies were defined on 161st Street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahead of this weekend’s New York City Marathon, filmmaker and long-distance runner Nicole Teeny shares the incredible story behind her new 30 for 30 podcast GIRL v. HORSE.  The conversation encompasses the surprising history of humans facing animals in contests of endurance and her own personal quest to accomplish the unthinkable: defeating a literal horse in a 50-mile ultramarathon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monday brought news that head coach Stephanie White was leaving the Connecticut Sun, followed by speculation that she would be moving to a new team in the coming days. White was the seventh head coach to leave or be fired in the WNBA this offseason, meaning a majority of the league’s twelve teams will be under new leadership next season. Considering the explosive growth the league saw in 2024, it’s clear that the stakes are ramping up for leaders at every level. So with college basketball tipping off next week and the intrigue of the WNBA offseason heating up, Alexa Philippou looks back at the year that was, examines the college stars ready to fill Caitlin Clark’s shoes, and explores what it all means for where this game is going in 2025 and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the eve of November, the college football calendar finds itself in a rare situation for this time of year as it is chock full of chaos. From undefeated teams looking to make school history, to historic powerhouses trying to hold on to their relevance, all eyes are now focused on what’s next and who will be able to claim the coveted spots in the expanded college football playoff. And this looks to be the new normal as NIL, the transfer portal and conference realignment have given birth to a whole new era of college football that has definitely shaken up our Saturdays. So today, our omniscient college football expert Ryan McGee joins us to break down how it started, how it’s going and why all this chaos might be just what everyone needed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This year, week 8 in the NFL was a holiday. No, not Halloween, but, National Tight Ends Day.  And the Tight Ends were front and center, none more than George Kittle - the holiday’s “creator.” But since you heard plenty about it on every broadcast, today, Ben Solak is here to break down the Sunday night brawl between the 49ers and Cowboys. And to explain just how wild the end of the Commanders and Bears game was. To say nothing of the Lions putting up 52 points on the Titans, or the Browns upsetting the Ravens in the Dawg Pound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yankees, Dodgers, World Series. Those words evoke memories of Major League baseball becoming the national pastime generations ago.  Both franchises fielded some of the absolute giants in the history of the sport. Babe and Jackie. Mantle and Koufax. And today Ohtani and Judge.  So as the baseball world gets ready for game one of the Fall Classic, we turn to Claire Smith, a legend in her own right, to tell us about the legacies of these two teams.  And to put into perspective the passing of another legend, Fernando Valenzuela, who played a part himself in this historic rivalry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story told of World War II and America is one of triumph over the Axis powers of Germany and Japan; a time when our entire nation stood together as one.  It has served as both an anchor and a beacon of virtue in our nation’s history. But often forgotten from this time is the Executive Order signed by President Roosevelt that called for forcible removal of all Japanese Americans from the West Coast to inland internment camps. This order ripped apart families, their homes and their livelihoods. But as these immigrants and citizens were forced to make a new life, one thing that kept their communities together was the competition and pageantry of baseball. So today, we visit with Dan Kwong, a descendant of those held at the Manzanar internment camp, to hear about how in the coming days, his decades-long quest to bring America’s pastime back to a dark place in American history will finally reach a resolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s one thing for certain, the San Antonio Spurs sure can pick ‘em. From David Robinson to Tim Duncan and now Victor Wembanyama, whenever the Spurs have the No. 1 pick in the draft, they always seem to get their hands on a generational talent. And no one knows that more than lifelong Spurs superfan Shea Serrano, who has lived and breathed all of it.  Today Serrano joins us to break down the vibe in San Antonio, gauge how close they are to a championship, and game out how long Gregg Popovich, the architect of it all, will stick around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA season starts tonight, and much has happened since the end of the NBA Finals. The Eastern Conference has loaded up on top, with the Knicks and the 76ers making big moves over the summer to compete with the reigning champion Celtics. Over in the Western Conference there is as competitive a race to the playoffs as ever, where almost every team has a chance to make it to the postseason.  Today Tim Bontemps joins the show to survey which off-season moves are most likely to pay off, why the stakes for the champs in Boston are bigger than you think, and why generational change is coming across the league.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 7 in the NFL featured several of the biggest regular season battles that we’ve seen this season. While a Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers sort of fizzled out. Games between the Packers and Texans, and Lions and Vikings came down to the wire. And that’s before we even look at the newest toy in Aaron Rodgers toybox. So today, Ben Solak helps us understand all the highlights and stand out moments from Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Black men were really allowed to play quarterback in professional football. And it took another 20 years or so for Black stars to emerge at the position.  The lineage of runs from James “Shack” Harrris, the first black player to start a season at quarterback in the history of pro football, to Doug Williams, the first black player to start and win a Super Bowl, to Michael Vick, the first black quarterback to go first in the draft, to Warren Moon, the first black quarterback enshrined in the Hall of Fame. But in the past few years, we’ve gone from the presence of a black man under center being remarkable, to being, well, unremarkable.  Andscape’s Senior NFL writer Jason Reid literally wrote the book on this, Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it Means for America, and he’s on the show to discuss how we got to this era, and also look at the future of the next man up. Jayden Daniels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Though the play has been a bit ugly at times, the New York Yankees are sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS. Meanwhile, the New York Mets are looking to keep their improbable run alive as they face a crucial Game 4 against the prohibitive favorite L.A. Dodgers. No doubt October baseball takes on a different flavor when both New York teams make deep runs.  So today, as these two series swing to new venues, Jeff Passan gives us his insider’s view on the League Championships, including why the Mets and Dodgers have more in common than you may think, and why Yankees v. Guardians is starting to look like varsity versus JV.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Liberty were one of the original franchises when the WNBA debuted in 1997. And despite the chaos of getting a professional sports team off the ground in six months, they were able to hit the ground running, making multiple appearances in the Finals. That magic run screeched to a halt as quickly as it started and the Liberty suddenly found themselves exiled out of New York City and playing in a 90-year-old arena in front of a handful of fans So today, Michael Voepel tells the story of how the Liberty were reborn in Brooklyn and are now a superteam in search of that elusive first WNBA Championship. Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx airs tonight at 8pm Eastern on ESPN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Sunday, Jerry West became the first person inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and contributor. West, who passed away in June of this year, left behind a legacy as a player, coach, executive, and is known for literally being the logo of the NBA. But he was also known for his obsessive pursuit of greatness, one that often left him incapable of enjoying the fruits of his labor. Today, ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes details the impact that the feud between West and the Los Angeles Lakers left on the basketball great’s life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One season, one achilles injury, and a meager two wins in 2024 is all the Robert Saleh - Aaron Rodgers pairing has to show for itself with the Jets. Saleh is out as head coach of Gang Green after a rough start to the season. But for Saleh, his team, and pundits everywhere, it came as a surprise. Especially considering that with a win tonight, the Jets would be in first place in the AFC East. So today, ESPN NFL Nation reporter Rich Cimini, who’s covered the Jets since the first Bush administration, explains: how it all went down, what, if anything Rodgers had to do with Saleh’s dismissal, and wonders if there’s time left, to save the Jets season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the eve of yet another chapter of the iconic Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, Barry Switzer – at the age of 87 – stands alone as the link from college football’s colorful past to its explosive present. And his story is a true American tale. From growing up as the son of a bootlegger to winning national titles at Oklahoma to running a sought-after Airbnb on game days, Coach Switzer has always pledged to take care of everyone in his world. But what happens when that world isn’t complete? What happens when a phone call from his past changes everything? Today, Dave Wilson answers all those questions and delivers an incredible story of how the King of Oklahoma discovered roots he didn’t know he ever had.  The Red River Rivalry – No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma – comes to you live from the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, October 12th, at 3: 30 EST on ABC and ESPN+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With NBA media days behind us and preseason games under way, we are officially counting down the days until the start of the NBA season on October 22. And though the defending champion Boston Celtics are looking to run it back with more or less the same roster, there are plenty of new faces in new places for us to get used to.  Today, Brian Windhorst tells us why Bronny James’ arrival might actually be exactly what LeBron and the Lakers need, why the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most unique favorites we’ve ever seen, and why Paul George doesn’t solve the Sixers biggest problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Postseason baseball is theater in the greatest sense. Taking the scale of sport’s longest season and distilling it down to a short series just ratchets up the intensity like nowhere else. And this year, the bad blood between the teams in all four of the divisional series creates a soap opera like none other. So today, MLB Insider, Jeff Passan, looks ahead at tonight's ALDS action and checks in on the vibes in the NLDS. And explains how hatred is okay, as long as you mind the line between tension and toxicity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In June, we saw the NHL season culminate in an epic Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid, the biggest star in the game, nearly led his Oilers back from a three, nothing deficit. But in the end, the Florida Panthers, once the laughing stock of the league, took the title in a decisive game seven.  So today, with a new season getting underway, Greg Wyshynski is here to help us get used to the idea of a prestige franchise in South Florida, explain what the Oilers did in the offseason to take some pressure off their team, and take stock of one of hockey's greatest records and when it may finally fall.  For more on the Panthers’ “rat trick” tradition, check out our episode from 2022.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 5 was a wild one. No lead was safe, and more than a couple of games came down to last second heroics. We even saw things that we don’t normally see, like a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown sealing the deal in Seattle. Today Ben Solak helps us digest everything we saw on the gridiron on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A’ja Wilson just finished what is arguably one of the best WNBA seasons of all time. From being the second ever unanimous MVP, to being the first player to have a 1000-point season; to winning an Olympic gold medal and the MVP of that tournament, this doesn't begin to cover all she's accomplished in 2024. Throughout all of this, Wilson’s family and faith has been a guiding light for her and she is constantly driven to ensure she sits atop of the Mount Rushmore of greats the WNBA has ever seen. While her legacy is being cemented, on and off the court, Wilson faces a new challenge as her two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces find themselves down 0-2 to the New York Liberty in the semifinals. With the third game Friday night in Vegas, the quest to three-peat faces its biggest test yet. So today, we chat with Andscape’s women's basketball reporter Sean Hurd who shares conversations he’s had with A’ja this year, her remarkable season and breaks down this huge matchup between the Aces and Liberty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since Dikembe Mutombo first stepped on to the court for the Georgetown Hoyas in 1988, his presence was impossible to ignore.   The 7’2” center who hails from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, was a shot-blocking machine with a smile, a voice and signature gesture that would make him a star across the world. And beyond his tall stature was a man with one of the biggest hearts on earth, who’s generosity and kind spirit will never be forgotten. So today, Marc Spears joins us to discuss the life and legacy of the man they called Deke, basketball Hall of Famer, and the NBA’s first ever global ambassador. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The soul of the Champions League isn’t the players or the teams, but the fans. And every one of them has a story on how their squad earned their undying loyalty. ESPN’s very own Luis Miguel Echegaray is no different. His tale is of a stirring, intercontinental journey into the ranks of Birmingham’s Aston Villa that continues to be written. So today, as he makes his way to their big Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich, LME explains why he bleeds the Villains claret and blue and explains how a revamped format has this entire league more than ready to deliver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last Thursday, the Athletics played their final game ever in Oakland, the city they’ve called home for 57 years. As friend of the show Jeff Passan wrote, baseball in the East Bay was “killed by greed… John Fisher did not have to move this team… This was a choice. A wrong one. History will sneer.”  For the conclusion of our Death of a Sports Town series, we trekked to the Oakland Coliseum and bore witness to the sights, sounds, and emotions of a city’s last gasp as a big time pro sports town.  It was a poignant and passionate display from a vibrant and rich fanbase, defiant to the very end. Today, we share that experience with you.  Death of a Sports Town Episodes: Apple Podcasts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4 Spotify: All episodes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Four weeks of the NFL season are just about in the bag, and some things are just starting to come into focus. For example, how even at 3-1, the new look Buffalo Bills are facing an uphill climb against the true contenders in the AFC and how the Minnesota Vikings — who NOBODY saw coming — could shake up the NFC all season. So today, Ben Solak takes us through everything you need to know about the league one month in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The college football landscape, once the bedrock of tradition in sports, now seems to shock us every few months with more changes and teams on the move. And with the transfer portal, NIL and this year’s expanded college football playoff, just about anything and anyone is up for grabs. Which brings to our latest storm on the college football radar: The Pac-12.  Left for dead only a year ago, this once-mighty brand is looking to make a comeback by reclaiming their Power 5 status one school at a time. Today Kyle Bonagura joins us to try and tame this Wild West story and bring some order to all this conference chaos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three weeks in the question surrounding the 2024 NFL season? Where’s the offense at? With teams practicing less in training camps, starters playing less in the preseason, and more youth than ever lining up under center, things have been kind of ugly for a lot of teams. So our friend Mina Kimes explores how all of that is manifesting at the most important spot on each team. Quarterback. From Caleb Williams’ rocky start in Chicago, to Jayden Daniels’ star turn on Monday Night Football, Mina looks at several situations around the league to tell us what’s working, and what’s not for these franchise QBs as we move toward the quarter mark of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major League Baseball is a sport that celebrates its history through, among other things, its records. So when you break a 60-year old mark, people take notice. But when it’s for the most losses in a season, that’s not the kind of attention you ever want for your franchise. That is where the 2024 Chicago White Sox find themselves at 120 losses and counting while dethroning the 1962 Mets’ losing record as being the furthest away from the right side of history. Veteran Chicagoan Jesse Rogers joins the show to take the pulse – if there even is one – of the South Side of Chicago and tells us why this mark of futility was years in the making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In covering Oakland’s unraveling as a big time sports town, we’ve documented the greed, the loss, the dubious decisions, and the rich sports community soon to be left behind. But we’ve yet to fully examine the most pertinent question of all––does the Athletics planned move to Las Vegas make any sense at all?  Today, in part four of our series Death of a Sports Town, we take stock of why the A’s (and MLB) are so enamored with Las Vegas––a city soon to be the smallest market in the league––why this move will be extraordinarily messy, and why Oakland is America’s most-underappreciated sports town.  Don’t miss our series finale, publishing next Tuesday in the ESPN Daily show feed. Death of a Sports Town Episodes: Apple Podcasts: Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3 Spotify: All episodes Alert Text:   In part four of our series “Death of a Sports Town,” we take stock of why the A’s move to Las Vegas will be extraordinarily messy and why Oakland is America’s most-underappreciated sports town. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many people forget that Joe “Brrr” Burrow started off as a fourth string quarterback at Ohio State before transferring to Baton Rouge to join the LSU tigers. Despite being underestimated at first, Burrow quickly showed that his grind and passion for the game would propel him to the top. So today, with the Bengals headlining Monday Night Football against the Commanders, our own Ryan Hockensmith shares his exclusive interview with Joe Burrow and breaks down the journey it took to become the star quarterback we know him as today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It seemed easy to write off the Indiana Fever’s 2024 season as a rebuilding year at the end of May. They had won just one of their first nine games, and looked like they were trying to figure out how to even play together. But since the calendar flipped to June, the Fever have found their footing, and a spot in the WNBA playoffs. ESPN women’s basketball reporter, Alexa Philippou explains how Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the rest of the team found their identity, and forged a path into the postseason. Then takes us through some of the biggest storylines we should be watching, as the playoffs begin on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Aaron Rodgers was injured four snaps into his tenure as the new quarterback of the Jets, he not only missed, virtually, the entire 2023 season, but cost the team up to $22 million dollars in lost production. A fate the Jets could have mitigated by taking out an insurance policy on Rodgers. Rodgers' situation is one that stands out amid a trend of teams buying insurance policies on star players around the NFL. The practice — which is becoming more popular as the sums of guaranteed money in players’ contracts increases — can soothe the bite of losing a player to injury, while also creating cap space for strategic front offices. Today, Senior ESPN reporter Kayln Kahler breaks down how these policies actually work, and explains why some teams have bought into the trend, while others opt out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Spirit In Motion” is the current motto of the International Paralympic Committee. It represents the inspiring essence of what these athletes are all about. But what happens when someone decides to defile this spirit of competition with a scheme so shameful that you wouldn’t believe it if it wasn’t true? And just who would be behind such a morally bankrupt plot in a pursuit of false glory? Today, Suemay Oram, the director of the 30 for 30 Film, “Stolen Gold” answers these questions and tells us the story of the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney and how one team from Spain made their mark for all the wrong reasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The loss of three professional sports teams in five years has thrust Oakland into the media spotlight, with coverage focusing on every twist, turn, stadium proposal, and relocation rumor. But amid all that noise, a central experience has been overshadowed: the story of the fans. In part three of our series, Death of a Sports Town, we turn our attention to the diehard Oakland sports fans who refuse to let their city’s reputation define them. We explore the thriving, tight-knit community that grew within the walls of the Coliseum and how, even as the teams leave, those bonds strive to endure in the face of an uncertain future. Our five-part series ‘Death of a Sports Town’ publishes every Tuesday in the ESPN Daily show feed. Death of a Sports Town Episodes: Apple Podcasts: Part 1 & Part 2 Spotify: All episodes Statement from the Athletics: ESPN emailed the Oakland Athletics, asking “What does the team feel it owes its fans and the city of Oakland as September 26th approaches?” The team responded with the following statement:  “We are deeply grateful to Oakland for being home to the A’s for nearly 60 years. In that span, the team and its fans celebrated four World Series championships, served as home to seven American League MVPs, made countless lasting memories, and achieved a storied place in baseball history. After an earnest and unprecedented effort to bring a visionary ballpark to downtown Oakland, we were unable to reach a deal, and more importantly, secure a reliable path to a fully approved project. We appreciate the community members, local leaders and staff who worked diligently to build a new home in Oakland and applaud the fans who passionately advocated for the team to stay. The A’s time in Oakland will always be a cherished part of this franchise’s history, and we carry that spirit forward on this journey to Sacramento and eventually to our new home in Las Vegas. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the loyal fans for their unwavering support throughout the years.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices