While the College Football Playoff technically doesn’t start for another month, if you look closely you can see that in many ways it already has. Look no further than the fireworks of Rivalry Week: while appearing to keep up with decades old traditions, they are actually setting the table for the win-or-go-home repercussions of this weekend's conference championships. So today, Ryan McGee joins us to talk about the chaos of this unofficial bracket, and then dares to take a look at the unpredictable future of college football – our favorite Saturday pastime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The past two seasons have been tumultuous, to say the least, for Draymond Green. Throughout the Warriors dynasty of the past decade, Green has been the enforcer of the team, playing a crucial role in bringing four NBA championships to the Bay Area, pushing the envelope on league rules in the process. But now, Green’s latest suspension – for putting Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold – has everyone questioning where he currently stands with the team.  Marc J. Spears has covered the NBA and Bay Area sports for decades, so he takes us inside the mind of Draymond Green – and inside the Warriors franchise – as all parties figure out how to move forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout human history, the allure of rare and mysterious artifacts has always summoned our bravest and most intrepid explorers to scour the ends of the earth. The Ark of the Covenant. The Holy Grail. And now, the Dallas Mavericks Barbie.   The ultra-rare Mavs Barbie, the product of a late 90’s collaboration between Mattel and the NBA, has given collectors everywhere headaches for years as the missing piece to their Barbie collections. She is so hard to find, in fact, that some collectors have even questioned her existence. So today, as the holiday gift-giving season kicks into full gear, we revisit a conversation between Jeremy Schaap and Dave Fleming on his quest for Mavericks Barbie, why she’s so hard to find…and how Dave helped put an end to one collector’s 25-year pursuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s that time of year, America. It’s time to grab a plate and have a seat for Thanksgiving dinner. And while we may not have the same foods on our table, there is one dish we all get to dive into: the Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving day. If you’re a Lions fan, most of those Thanksgiving games this century have sat in your stomach like leftovers gone bad…but as a quick look at the standings show, it’s a new day in Motown. So today, Eric Woodyard, our Michigan native and Lions insider, shares his experience growing up around this tradition, tells us where this first-place team is going and what you can expect to eat if you stop by Mama Woodyard’s house. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this month, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, more commonly known as UFC, celebrated its 30th anniversary. The company’s explosive growth is unprecedented in the history of sports, recently earning a $12 billion valuation. But the UFC didn't just create a new kind of sports entertainment. It brought a relatively unknown fighting style out of the underground and into the mainstream, upending our understanding of human combat. So today, Ryan Hockensmith tells the tale of the first-ever UFC event, through the eyes of one fighter who had no idea what he was getting into. Back in 2017, our friends at 30 for 30 Podcasts went even deeper on the origins of UFC. Check out their episode No Rules: The Birth of UFC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After more than a few lackluster primetime games over the first half of the NFL season, tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs is sure to deliver a feast to kick off Thanksgiving Week.  Not only is it the two best teams from each conference, with two presumptive MVP candidates at quarterback on each side, it’s also only the second time we’ve seen a rematch from the previous year’s Super Bowl on Monday Night Football. So today, Andrew Hawkins joins the show to break down every major aspect ahead of tonight’s game, and gives his take on one…well actually two… of the most anticipated meetings of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nine games into CJ Stroud’s NFL career, and he’s already taking the league by storm. He resurrected a lifeless Houston Texans organization, and etched his name in the record books. Forget Rookie of the Year, he might be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player this season. Period. But there is so much more to Stroud than his heroics on the field…so today, ESPN’s Liz Merrill joins the show to tell us about where he comes from, who shaped him…and what sets him apart, as a quarterback, and as a person. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even if you don’t follow basketball, odds are that you heard of Paige Bueckers. Even before she stepped foot on the floor at the University of Connecticut, clips of her getting buckets had gone viral as far back as when she was in middle school. And she arrived at UConn in 2020 as the next big thing; the next superstar that would lead the storied Huskies program to another national championship.  But for the past couple of years, injuries have plagued Bueckers, turning her charmed tale into a story about adversity, struggle, and mental fortitude.  So today, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou takes us inside Bueckers’ road back to the court, and shows us how time away has changed her approach to the game, all while keeping a national championship run in her sights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Colorado’s final home game of the 2023 season ended in agony last Saturday, a heart-wrenching 34-31 defeat — their fourth in a row — at the paws of the Arizona Wildcats. The prime time games and celebrities on the sidelines are gone for now, and with their record now sitting at 4-6, the Buffaloes need to win out just to be bowl eligible. But with Deion Sanders taking over a program that won one game a year ago, what does a successful season really look like for them? So today, as the sun sets on Coach Prime’s first year with the Buffs, ESPN’s Spencer Hall joins the show to give us his review on year one of the Deion Sanders Experience in Boulder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Billy Preston was thought to be the next one-and-done player when he signed with the University of Kansas basketball team back in 2017. But before he could make that leap, a minor fender bender opened the door into a world of illegal corporate payouts that unraveled his future in an instant. So today as Kansas, and their coach Bill Self – the highest paid coach in the sport – prepare to take on Kentucky, Paula Lavigne joins us to talk about how corporate America, the Federal Government, and the NCAA extinguished a hoop dream before it even began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 10 gave us some of the craziest finishes of the NFL season. The Houston Texans pulled off a last second victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, where rookie QB CJ Stroud basically “out-Burrowed” Joe Burrow himself, inserting himself into the MVP conversation in the process. Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Browns came from behind to steal a win from the Baltimore Ravens, who had been gaining momentum as a Super Bowl contender in recent weeks. The 49ers offense is back at full strength with the returns of Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel, and they look like the world beaters we saw back in Week 1 again. And in Los Angeles, the Detroit Lions had maybe their biggest win of the season over the Chargers in a shootout…which might make Brandon Staley’s seat a little bit warmer. So today, Kevin Clark, host of This is Football, joins the show to discuss his biggest takeaways from Week 10. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michigan has been one of the top teams in college football for the past few seasons. Ever since head coach Jim Harbaugh stepped on campus, they’ve stayed in the headlines, for better or worse. And now, In the midst of their undefeated season, allegations of sign stealing have taken over the narrative surrounding the team. The near-daily developments have been unexpected, and sometimes downright odd, making this situation feel as if it was pulled right from the silver screen. Sunglasses with spy cameras, fake play call signs, and 600-page manifestos have put Michigan’s run to the National Championship in jeopardy.   So today, Mark Schlabach joins the show to explain how this all has unfurled, the difficult choices facing the Big Ten, and what the consequences for Michigan and Harbaugh might be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caitlin Clark is one of the greatest college basketball players we have ever seen. She’s the reigning NCAA women’s basketball Player of the Year after leading Iowa to the Final Four; and now in her senior season, she’s poised to set or break several more records. But regardless of what Clark accomplishes, she’ll do it all while holding her favorite title: Being just another kid from Des Moines. So today, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Voepel joins the show to tell us all about Clark’s connection with her roots, and why it could continue to shape Iowa’s basketball program and Clark’s career, for years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

University of Wisconsin’s star sophomore Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to make the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. After an incredible freshman season that ended with Wisconsin’s record seventh national title, she now adds representing the U.S. to her resume.  Inspired by a chance meeting with Blake Bolden, the first Black woman to play professional hockey, Laila is showing a new generation that they can not only play hockey, but thrive in the sport.  Ahead of tonight’s Team USA vs Team Canada matchup, Andscape’s Branson Wright shares Laila’s story, how crucial her family was to her journey to the U.S. National Team, and what her future holds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few jobs are more thankless than that of the referee. At best, your existence is completely invisible. No one notices when you do a terrific job. At worst, you become enemy #1 for fans or coaches or in lower levels, angry parents. Combine that with low pay and high pressure, and it's no wonder why officiating is undergoing a crisis at the moment. Not enough people are willing to do the job –– a job without which, the games quite literally cannot go on. But, today, ahead of Veteran’s Day weekend, we revisit the story of Battlefields to Ballfields, an organization working to make military vets part of the solution. And in many cases, it’s the kind of opportunity some struggling former soldiers have dreamed of. For more on Battlefields to Ballfields, you can read McGee’s story here. This episode first ran on November 11, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The playoff picture is slowly starting to take shape as we get deeper into the NFL season. Teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, who got off to slow starts, are finally hitting their stride.  Meanwhile, other teams are starting to raise more questions than answers. Can the Kansas City Chiefs defense carry a lackluster offense to the Super Bowl? How far can the Dallas Cowboys really go with Dak Prescott under center? And will the real Miami Dolphins please stand up? So today, ESPN NFL senior writer Jason Reid joins the show to break down four of Sunday’s biggest matchups, and he helps us make sense of what they mean at this point of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Across the American sporting landscape, Pride Nights have become a popular way to reach out to the LGBTQIA+ community, a simple show of support meant to signify that sports are for everyone. In the NHL, teams have worn themed warm up jerseys that were later auctioned off for charity. But last year, Pride Nights became the epicenter of a public relations disaster for the league.  A small handful of players publicly refused to participate in their team’s respective Pride Night, citing their religion or fear of retribution in their home countries, and some teams opted out of wearing the warmups entirely.  Backlash and debate ensued, and the NHL banned all specialty jerseys ahead of this season. They also banned the use of Pride Tape, a rainbow-patterned wrap that players would use on their sticks. But rather than make the issue go away like the league had hoped, it blew up in their faces and created even more of a PR firestorm.  The ban was eventually rescinded, but the initial decision itself was a damning tell of the state of LGBTQIA+ support, or lack thereof, in society at large. So today, Emily Kaplan joins us for a candid discussion about what happened in hockey, how we can learn from it…and who’s really affected when we talk about this subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are few professions with a shorter leash than the job of an NFL coach. The league is a results-based business with 32 teams all vying for a Super Bowl ring. So if you can’t build a perennial contender, you can pretty much expect to be looking for other work sooner rather than later, with the fans all too eager to see you go.  That’s what’s going on right now in Pittsburgh, where offensive coordinator Matt Canada has drawn the ire of so many fans that the calls for his job have now transcended outside of the Acrisure Stadium walls. The chants and signs and memes have spread to Penguins games, wrestling matches, and NFL stadiums everywhere.  So today, Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor joins the show to explain how the “Fire Canada” phenomenon started in the first place, how the unique psychology of Steelers fans catapulted it into the mainstream, and if the fun and games have gone too far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another season of men’s college basketball is upon us…and we really don’t know what to make of it. The usual teams adorn the top of the preseason polls: Kansas, Duke, and Michigan State, but there’s really no clear frontrunner that looks primed to stand above the crowd. Add to the wide-open field a whole crop of familiar faces in new places, as NIL deals and the transfer portal continue to dominate the sport.  So today, Myron Medcalf returns to give us some clarity as the marathon towards March Madness starts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rhythms of the NBA regular season have been remarkably consistent since the 82-game schedule was introduced in the 1960s –– a grueling six-month march toward the playoffs, where, from night to night, the importance of any one game can often feel pretty negligible.  But this year, the league is shaking things up. Enter the In-Season Tournament, a five-week-long competition running alongside the regular season, and tipping off this Friday. The World Cup-style format starts with group play and culminates with the top eight teams facing off in a single elimination tournament and the champion winning the new NBA Cup.  So today, Zach Lowe explains everything you need to know about the entire event –– how it’s more than a gimmick, why the players actually will care, and all the components that should make the entire affair pretty fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 8 had some scares in store for teams around the league. We saw the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Denver Broncos for the first time in eight years, and the San Francisco 49ers drop their third straight game, and out of first place in the NFC West in the process. On the other side of the coin, the Cincinnati Bengals are finding their stride coming out of their bye week, while the Philadelphia Eagles survived a fright against the Commanders. Meanwhile, quarterbacks went down all around the league, and the Vikings might be facing a horrifying rest of the season without their starting quarterback.  So today, Andrew Hawkins tells us who should be able to overcome their fears…and who might be in trouble. Halloween, Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Brock Purdy, Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Kyle Shanahan, Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith, Philadelphia Eagles, AJ Brown, Jalen Hurts, Will Levis, Tennessee Titans, DeAndre Hopkins, Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins, New York Giants, Saquon Barkley, New York Jets, Zach Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the baseball season got underway, the World Series favorites were: big market juggernauts like the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, and Mets; annual contenders like the Braves, and Astros; and plucky dark horses like the Phillies and Blue Jays. But fast forward to the end of October, and none of those front runners remain standing.  The Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks — who had a combined 2% chance to lift the trophy — are ready to face off in a battle of underdogs. So Jeff Passan tells David Dennis Jr. how they got here, and how he thinks this series will unfold. Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Corbin Carroll, Jordan Montgomery, Max Scherzer, Zac Gallen, Evan Longoria, Christian Walker, Tommy Pham, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Brandon Pfaadt, MLB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women’s basketball is having a moment in 2023. Attendance records have been broken not only at the WNBA Finals, but also at the University of Iowa’s outdoor scrimmage featuring the NCAAW’s biggest star: Caitlin Clark…which took place on a football field. With the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty establishing themselves as the WNBA’s superteams and the W’s recent expansion announcement, it begs the question: Is the league entering a new era? Alexa Philippou joins the show to answer the burning questions about the present and future of women’s basketball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA’s Eastern Conference looks very, very different than it did just a few weeks ago. The Milwaukee Bucks rocked the basketball universe by shipping off Jrue Holiday to Portland in exchange for Damian Lillard, who everyone assumed would eventually end up on the Miami Heat. Holiday, meanwhile, found his way to Boston after the Celtics had already added Kristaps Porzingis. The result is two Eastern Conference powers who seem to be on a collision course. But is the NBA ever really that simple? And Philadelphia is still hoping to crash the party, though they’ll have to solve their James Harden problem first. Can they actually contend without him?  Brian Windhorst returns for day two of our NBA season preview, and this time he tells us everything we need to know about the East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone’s favorite real-life soap opera, the NBA, is officially back tonight! And the moves this offseason have shaken up the league. Out west we’ve seen: Bradley Beal force his way to Phoenix to form a brand new big three with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Lakers double down on the defense-first roster that saved their season last year, and the Warriors bring in Chris Paul to share the load with Steph Curry. But the question remains, is any of that enough to topple the defending champion Denver Nuggets? Brian Windhorst joins the show to give us a full breakdown of the Western Conference…and tell us how familiar this Victor Wembanyama arrival feels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 7 in the NFL was headlined by the Sunday Night matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, two teams at the top of their respective conferences. Jalen Hurts and the Birds triumphed, and the Philly defense shut down Tua and the Dolphins, soaring to victory 31-17. And in the early slate of games, Lamar Jackson reminded us all that he’s that guy as the Ravens finally put it all together in a blowout of the Detroit Lions, while the Patriots pulled off an upset over the struggling Bills. So today, ESPN’s Louis Riddick breaks down some of the most noteworthy moments from around the league this week…and he lets us know if it’s time to panic in Buffalo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This college football season has been full of excitement, and not always from the places we’ve grown to expect. Because for every Georgia and Michigan and Ohio State sitting at the top of the rankings, we’ve also got rebounding powers making noise, like Florida State and Texas. And unexpected teams like North Carolina pushing their way into the conversation. Not to mention a Pac-12 conference insisting on making its final season a memorable one. So today, Ryan McGee drops by to tell us what he’s been looking at as the first college football playoff rankings of the season loom on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout the sports world, trade deadlines tend to be one of the most reliable generators of storylines and intrigue. A star player stuck on a bad team can create months of speculation and headlines. And in other leagues such as the NBA and MLB, the trade deadline serves as the most dramatic point of the season of the midseason. But historically, the NFL had kept major player movement to the offseason, making for a largely inactive deadline — until recently, that is. Last year, we saw the 49ers trade for Christian McCaffrey, who took their offense from stagnant to one of the best in the league. And the year before that, the Rams added Von Miller to a defensive line that already featured Aaron Donald, a move that would ultimately help them win the Super Bowl. So today, Bill Barnwell makes his triumphant return to ESPN Daily –– helping us understand how the football trade market has changed over time, and giving us a full breakdown of this year’s possible movers and shakers, including a few surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ja Morant has been an NBA superstar since pretty much the night he was drafted. A young, overlooked, and under recruited point guard that drew Damian Lillard comparisons when he was the No. 2 pick coming out of Murray State, the expectations for Morant were high and he has exceeded every single one of them … on the court. But despite his limitless basketball potential, Morant’s behavior off the court has become not just a distraction, but problematic.  So today, a week ahead of the Grizzlies season opener — which Morant won’t be a part of due to a 25-game suspension — ESPN’s Tim McMahon joins the show to tell us how Morant’s issues might be putting his basketball career in jeopardy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stop us if you’ve seen this before: a star NFL player falls down on a turf field –– sometimes without contact –– and clutches his knee or calf before being helped off the field. He’s diagnosed with a significant injury, his season ends, and then social media sounds off, calling on the league to move away from artificial turf.  That cycle played out most recently when Aaron Rodgers’ tore his achilles just four plays into his Jets debut. But just how much is turf really to blame for these injuries? And can anything actually be done about it? The answers and solutions aren’t as simple as you might think. Today, Kevin Seifert joins the show to help us survey the field, literally, as we dive into the high-stakes debate between the NFL Players Association, the league, and the local officials that maintain the fields. For more on the NFL’s turf debate, you can read ESPN’s story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are no unbeaten teams left six weeks into the 2023 NFL season. But there are still plenty of questions about every team in the league.  Will the Eagles ever look like they are in high gear? Is Brock Purdy really good enough to win with the 49ers? When will Joe Burrow be healthy enough to deliver? Why doesn’t Lamar Jackson look like he used to? Is this really what the Patriots season is going to be? Kevin Clark, host of This is Football, joins the show to provide answers to these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve probably seen the image: Tommie Smith and John Carlos standing on an Olympic podium in Mexico City in 1968, accepting their medals, heads bowed, with a gloved fist raised in the air. It’s one of the most enduring moments not just from that Olympics, but in all of American history. It was a representation of the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements on a global stage…and you probably don’t know the full story. So today, nearly 55 years after his iconic act of defiance, Dr. John Carlos sits down with David Dennis, Jr. to discuss the impact it had on himself and those around him…and we delve into the mind of a 23-year-old who was ready to change the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is probably no sport susceptible to more debate in the American consciousness than the NBA. It feels inescapable; the discussions comparing player’s legacies, the debates about who’s the best, and the chatter around who’s got next.  But today, ESPN’s NBArank returns for another installment, hoping to settle all questions once and for all (well, for this upcoming season at least). Kevin Pelton takes us inside this exercise: one that includes more than 150 journalists working to decide who the top 100 players in the league are…and some of the results may surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you think of college football rivalries, images immediately come to mind of longtime powerhouses, schools with a deep rooted hatred of each other like Alabama and Auburn, or Oklahoma and Texas, or even USC and UCLA. There’s one rivalry that’s just as strong, even if it doesn’t come to you off the top of your head: Oregon vs Washington. It’s a battle of Pacific Northwest supremacy, and this year especially, two of the best teams in the country featuring two quarterbacks with Heisman aspirations.  So today, Kyle Bonagura tells you why you should be a little more invested in this clash of Pac-12 leaders, and what to expect when Saturday’s game kicks off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If there’s anything last season proved, it’s how unpredictable the NHL can be. The Boston Bruins had a historic regular season, setting league records for wins and points, only to get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. But tonight, a new year of hockey begins, and with it, a new face that you need to know about. Connor Bedard is set to take the ice for the Chicago Blackhawks, with his debut being the most anticipated since the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby.  So today, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski joins the show to tell us all about Bedard’s maiden voyage, McDavid’s hunt for his first Stanley Cup, Crosby’s hunt for his last, and everything else you need to know about the NHL in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NFL Week 5 is in the books, and this week was certainly a page-turner. The Jets defended the honor of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in Denver, as Gang Green beat Sean Payton and the Broncos after an offseason of back-and-forths. At Foxborough, it’s starting to look like the final chapter for Bill Belichick and the Patriots could be an ugly one. Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, things turned into an Edgar Allan Poe-esque nightmare for the Ravens as turnovers doomed their lead, gifting a win to the Steelers. And then in San Francisco, the 49ers closed the book on the night with an utterly dominant performance, obliterating the Cowboys 42-10. So today, Andrew Hawkins gives us the SparkNotes on Week 5, and summarizes the story of what we’ve seen so far across the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia's mother, Dr. Kate Karikó, has seen her lifelong work come to fruition with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. An accomplishment that has led to her being the recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in medicine.  Dr. Karikó’s dedication to her research over the decades inspired her daughter to become an Olympian rower. In a re-air of one of our favorite episodes, ESPN’s Julie Foudy takes us through the story of Dr. Karikó’s perseverance, her mRNA breakthroughs behind the vaccine, and the mother-daughter relationship at the center of the E:60 feature “What We’re Made Of.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As much as we love an underdog story, there’s nothing quite like a clash of titans. Two heavyweights, slugging it out until only one is left standing. And that’s exactly what we have in this year’s WNBA Finals. In the first year of the W’s superteam era, we get the championship matchup we’ve been dreaming about since the offseason: the Las Vegas Aces vs the New York Liberty. Both teams are stacked with MVPs, All-Stars, and championship experience all around…but will it all live up to the hype? ESPN WNBA analyst LaChina Robinson joins us to break down this unprecedented Finals matchup…and tell us what it means for the league writ large. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NBA Media Day is the unofficial start to the NBA season, and in a lot of ways it’s like the first day of school.  You’ve got your new kids, like Damian Lillard, popping up with their new teams. And your returning stalwarts, like Giannis Antentokounmpo, holding court in front of reporters. Meanwhile, the media, serving as the teachers in this tortured metaphor, are quizzing everyone about their summer reading, trying to get a take on the season to come. And oftentimes, the answers we get are anything but straightforward. So we turned to our friend and NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne, to help us read between the lines and decode the most intriguing comments we heard on Media Day. Did the Celtics actually land on the winning side of the Bucks’ Damian Lillard trade? What is James Harden’s next move in Philly? Is this LeBron James’ last ride? And what on earth is going on with emo-Jimmy Butler? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the weather starts to cool down and summer comes to an end, it can only mean one thing for baseball fans: October is here. Twelve teams from around the league are left standing, all with a World Series trophy in their sights. Can the Baltimore Orioles continue their newfound success and capture America’s hearts? Will we see yet another chapter in the heated Dodgers-Braves postseason rivalry? Are the Houston Astros truly inevitable? Our good friend, Jeff Passan, surveys the bountiful harvest of playoff baseball upon which we now get to feast…and he tells us who he thinks will emerge victorious come November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're about a quarter of the way through the 2023 NFL season. And in some cases, It's going about as you'd expect. The problem with those expectations? Sometimes you're the Chicago Bears.  So for teams like Dallas, Buffalo, and Miami, they are who we thought they were. But then you get a surprise like the Jets almost gave the Chiefs and Taylor Swift, nearly leaving us all looking like the foolish one. So today, Kevin Clark, host of the This Is Football podcast, tells us who's living up to their potential, and who's already fallen short of the mark around the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s one of the most infamous legends in recent college football history: how Lane Kiffin was fired from USC…in the dead of night…on a tarmac, at LAX. You might have heard that version of the story: but today, David Hale joins the show to tell us what actually happened to Kiffin that night, how Kiffin ended up at USC in the first place, and what his many junctures in college and pro football coaching have taught him so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Damian Lillard is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. The former Portland superstar joins Giannis Antetokounmpo on a team that instantly jumped to the top of the NBA Championship betting odds. All offseason, it seemed Lillard was headed to South Beach, as the superstar made no secret of his desire to join the Miami Heat. But Wednesday’s shocking three team deal between Milwaukee, Portland and Phoenix has reshaped the NBA landscape with less than a month before the season tips off. Adrian Wojnarowski explains how the trade unfolded, what it means for each team…and how the rest of the league will try to keep up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Miami Dolphins are the NFL’s hottest team, after dropping an incredible 70 points against the Denver Broncos. But this week, they’ll face a familiar foe when they shuffle up to Buffalo to take on the Bills in an early battle for the AFC East lead. Has Miami’s offensive speed met its match in Buffalo’s stalwart defense? What kinds of QB heroics will be see from Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen? Is this going to be an AFC playoff preview? With the premiere matchup in the AFC East on deck with the Bills and the Dolphins, Marcel Louis-Jacques tells us what to expect from both teams on Sunday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s never been an NBA player quite like James Harden. Whether he’s dominating the court at the highest level of play one night or turning nearly invisible the next, his presence and persona leaves fans asking a seemingly eternal question: what exactly is going on inside Harden’s head? And while his latest falling out with the Philadelphia 76ers might feel unsurprising, it’s also been unpredictable.  So today, just days before the start of Sixers training camp, Ramona Shelburne takes us inside the team and inside James Harden's mind to explain how this all unfolded, why things went south, how soon Harden will show up, and how this whole saga may finally come to an end.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Week 3 in the NFL went beyond some teams’ Wildest Dreams…like the Miami Dolphins, who racked up an astounding 70 points thanks to Tua Tagovailoa and the speed of the Fins’ offense. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers nearly suffered Death By A Thousand Cuts by handing the ball back to the Vikings late in the 4th quarter, but the Bolts were the Lucky Ones and escaped with a win, 28-24. Then, the Arizona Cardinals had the Electric Touch and stunned the Cowboys 28-16…and no, it wasn’t a Glitch, Taylor Swift was cheering on Travis Kelce at the Kansas City Chiefs win over the Bears. So today, Andrew Hawkins brings his own Style and helps us navigate the Labyrinth of Sunday’s games…and he shares his thoughts on tonight’s Monday night matchups…are you Ready For It? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Deion Sanders was named head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, everything in Boulder, Colorado changed. Suddenly, every game for the Buffs is primetime television – home or away – night or day. Their rivalry game, last Saturday against Colorado State, broke viewership records, and had the country glued to their screens well past 2 in the morning out east.  With each win, and each riveting quote, Coach Prime has quickly become the center of not only college football, but arguably, all of American sports. The stars dot the sidelines, and now, Colorado is 3-0 and facing their toughest test yet: a trip to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks.  So today, Kyle Bonagura shares his experiences in Boulder this season and explains how Deion Sanders has not only had an impact on the local community, but also captured the attention of the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tradition is one of the most polarizing aspects of college football. One on hand, there are teams like Oregon, who seem to roll out a new uniform combo every week. And then there are schools like Notre Dame who seem to only stick with the iconic gold helmets and navy blue jerseys. It’s been their look for what feels like a century, and it seems like they never deviate from it. However, every few years Notre Dame will don green jerseys, and their reception is just as mixed as you might think. Some of the Irish’s signature victories have come in green…but so have some of their most humiliating defeats. So are the green jerseys a blessing, a curse, or just a piece of fabric? Our good friend, Ryan McGee, helps us find that out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices