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 ...
Oct 24, 2023•22 min
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 strugglin...
Oct 23, 2023•31 min
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...
Oct 20, 2023•32 min
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 49er...
Oct 19, 2023•28 min
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 seas...
Oct 18, 2023•30 min
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?...
Oct 17, 2023•25 min
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 a...
Oct 16, 2023•31 min
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 sit...
Oct 13, 2023•32 min
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 th...
Oct 12, 2023•27 min
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 aspirati...
Oct 11, 2023•24 min
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...
Oct 10, 2023•25 min
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 ...
Oct 09, 2023•28 min
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 beh...
Oct 06, 2023•38 min
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? E...
Oct 05, 2023•29 min
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 anyth...
Oct 04, 2023•31 min
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 o...
Oct 03, 2023•30 min
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 p...
Oct 02, 2023•28 min
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
Sep 29, 2023•29 min
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 Wojnar...
Sep 28, 2023•21 min
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...
Sep 27, 2023•27 min
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...
Sep 26, 2023•31 min
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, Tay...
Sep 25, 2023•34 min
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 Ameri...
Sep 22, 2023•25 min
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. Som...
Sep 21, 2023•25 min
Today marks five months exactly since Oakland fans had their worst fears confirmed: The Athletics were leaving town, having reached an agreement for a shiny new stadium in Las Vegas. Fans felt betrayed and most of all, blindsided by the news. Up to that point, there had been promising talks about building a stadium in Oakland’s Howard Terminal, and A’s owner John Fisher has never explained his reasoning for killing that deal…until now. So today, ESPN’s Tim Keown brings us his findings from his s...
Sep 20, 2023•31 min
Between the introduction of the pitch clock, the widening of the bases… and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani being Shohei Ohtani…the 2023 MLB season has been one for the history books. And as the regular season winds down, what better way to honor history, than with baseball's newest and most coveted award…the first annual Passans! So Today, live from the ESPN Daily Red Carpet, our favorite baseball nerd recognizes his top players, moments and innovations — backed by completely legitimate science — ...
Sep 19, 2023•32 min
Sunday’s slate of NFL games saw some teams continue their good fortunes, like Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins who survived a last minute drive from Mac Jones and the Patriots. Some teams bounced back from their Week 1 struggles, like the New York Giants, who completed a thrilling comeback over the Arizona Cardinals, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce, who celebrated his return from injury with a touchdown in KC’s win over the Jaguars. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Rams again, b...
Sep 18, 2023•33 min
You could argue that the Miami Dolphins have the most exciting offense in the NFL right now. That can be backed up by Miami’s thrilling upset over the Los Angeles Chargers a week ago, where Tua Tagovailoa looked like he belonged in the conversation around the league’s most elite quarterbacks. Much of the credit belongs to quirky head coach Mike McDaniel, who has reinvigorated this offense over the past two seasons and brought a level of excitement not seen in decades. We’ve previously covered hi...
Sep 15, 2023•37 min
There are few moments like it in sports. The quarterback takes a deep drop, steps up and unleashes a bomb. Time feels like it stops, 70,000 fans collectively hold their breath, waiting to see if it will be agony or ecstasy on the other end. The long passing game has long been the sizzle to the steak that is NFL football. But today, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor takes us on a deep dive into the deep ball, and investigates whether it’s going the way of the single wing offense, destined for the graveyard of ...
Sep 14, 2023•21 min
The first regular season of the WNBA’s superteam era has concluded, and we set our sights towards the playoffs. The two most talked about teams all season have been the Las Vegas Aces, who added the GOAT Candace Parker to their championship core of Aja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum. Meanwhile in the Eastern Conference, the New York Liberty brought in Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot to complement Sabrina Ionescu. The investments seem to have paid off for both team...
Sep 13, 2023•28 min
