ESPN Daily

No NFL franchise has endured more public turmoil in recent years than the Washington Commanders and their owner Daniel Snyder. There have been allegations of sexual misconduct, a toxic workplace environment, the changing of the team’s controversial name… not to mention the federal investigation into the team’s finances. But now there are new allegations of potential fraud by Snyder in connection to how he treated his own business partners. So today, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Don Van Natta delivers his latest investigation into Snyder and the Commanders – a staggering story about a hidden loan that led to Snyder’s fellow billionaires crying foul – forcing the league, and even Roger Goodell… to step in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL combine: an annual spectacle that is part job interview, part gym class, and part reality TV show. It is also a critical moment in deciding the future of a new class of NFL draft prospects. An exceptionally good or bad performance in the combine will make a prospect’s draft stock rise or fall, meaning millions in potential salary is on the table. But just how useful is the combine in actually predicting a player’s NFL career? And what is it like for the players to run the gauntlet of medical evaluations, physical tests, and character evaluations? ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth went through the process in 2005. He shares all the secrets from inside the scouting combine, and why it may not be as important as we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just over 55 years ago this month, one of the most horrible tragedies of the civil rights movement took place in Orangeburg, South Carolina when police opened fire on a group of Black protesters outside of a bowling alley. The protesters had gathered to push for the desegregation of All-Star Bowling Lane, and when all was said and done 31 people had been shot, most of them students at nearby South Carolina State University. Three men lay dead, two members of the South Carolina State football team and a high school athlete. Andscape Senior Writer, David Dennis Jr., author of THE MOVEMENT MADE US: A FATHER, A SON, AND THE LEGACY OF A FREEDOM RIDE, tells the story of this underreported massacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things are just a bit messy in the NFL right now. With Patrick Mahomes giving Kenny Powers-style victory speeches and a hallucinating Aaron Rodgers trying to eat two meals a day in total darkness, you can see how things are really just…out of sorts. And as if things couldn’t get any crazier, the Ravens are now in a predicament: they are refusing to give Lamar Jackson the contract that he wants and believes he deserves. So, today, Jeremy Fowler walks us through his and ESPN colleague Jamison Hensley’s new reporting into the NFL’s premiere contract standoff. And he shines a light on what’s to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NBA is a study in chain reactions — many of which have been chronicled on this podcast. Like the fact that in November of 2021, our colleague Baxter Holmes published a bombshell investigation into the broken workplace culture of Robert Sarver’s Phoenix Suns. And now, 15 months later, those Suns have a new billionaire owner, Mat Ishbia…who promptly went out and apparently gave the Brooklyn Nets whatever they wanted for Kevin Durant. So we asked Brian Windhorst to take us behind the scenes, in Brooklyn and Phoenix, as the dominos very quickly started falling… And how that power dynamic also helps explain why Russell Westbrook is staying in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bill Russell’s life touched so many different areas that trying to figure out how to properly honor his legend is a task in itself. His name adorns the Finals MVP Award, he was the first Black head coach in NBA history, the 11 titles he won with the Boston Celtics are still the standard by which champions are measured. And his impact was just as large off the court where the civil rights activist fought for racial justice at every step of his life. Martenzie Johnson takes us inside the foundational chapter of Russell’s life, where he transformed a small program that didn’t even have a gym to practice in, into back-to-back national champions…and changed the entire sport of basketball along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An NBA halftime lasts just 15 minutes. It’s a time for players to leave the court, fans to run to the bathroom or grab another beer, or, a break, for all intents and purposes. But for Rong Niu - it’s her time to shine. Rong, better known to audiences as the Red Panda, has been astounding NBA halftime audiences around the country for thirty years, with her 7-and-a-half-foot-tall unicycle, a stack of white bowls, and not much else. With the NBA All-Star this past weekend, we celebrate a star who has been at the top of her game for decades…and who we believe belongs in the Hall of Fame one day. Rong Niu, the Red Panda herself, joins the show today to tell us her story - and how she became an NBA legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who is Chiefsaholic? Imagine a Chiefs superfan wearing a werewolf costume with a Chiefs cap, a KC shirt, and a red fanny pack. That’s Chiefsaholic, and in recent years he’s been a staple at Chiefs’ games both home and away, while at the same time becoming a fixture on social media for seemingly sparing no expense when it comes to proving his Chiefs devotion. But now everything Chiefs fans thought they knew about Chiefsaholic has been turned upside down, after he was arrested for robbing a bank in Tulsa, Oklahoma this December. The shocking revelation has led many to wonder, was Chiefsaholic funding his Chiefs’ fandom by robbing banks? With so many elements to this story, Liz Merrill is here to unravel this mystery which must be heard to be believed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the surface, there is an unprecedented level of excitement surrounding the WNBA. TV viewership numbers have been trending upwards, and the league has entered the superteam era thanks to some splashy free agency signings like Breanna Stewart to the New York Liberty and Candace Parker to the Las Vegas Aces. But beneath all the hype, there are still some major issues that haven’t been addressed…such as the fact that the world’s best women’s basketball players still fly commercial, unlike the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB, who all charter private flights. And as we found out, the real issue goes much deeper. So Ramona Shelburne helps us examine the changing landscape of the WNBA, and maps out what could be the next steps in the evolution of the sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, Super Bowl winners have used a four-word phrase to commemorate their iconic victory: “I’m going to Disney World!” (or alternately, “I’m going to Disneyland!”) In all its simplicity, this phrase has stretched across many generations of winners….all the way up to this past Sunday night, and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Sam Borden tracked down the origin of this famous sentence for SC Featured, and he explains how this “magic” phrase became an institution unto itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 years ago, the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins, in Vancouver. Canucks fans didn’t exactly hide their frustrations, as a riot engulfed the city. Now, more than a decade later, arguably the most enduring image of that night was a photo of a couple, kissing on the ground, surrounded by police in riot gear. In an encore fit for Valentine’s Day…and of one of our favorite episodes…Greg Wyshynski caught up with the couple, and the photographer, and joins the show to share how that iconic image endures to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions! MVP Patrick Mahomes re-injured his ankle shortly before halftime and faced limited opportunities as Philly’s time of possession kept him off the field, but that didn’t stop him from shining bright like a diamond and leading yet another Mahomesian comeback, proving that he’ll be here forever. With the game tied late (and a questionable holding call against the Eagles), Kansas City ran the clock down for the game winning field goal…and they ran this town tonight. Alex Smith was in Glendale, Arizona for the game, and he breaks down everything that led to the Chiefs hoisting the Lombardi Trophy once again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Eagles and Chiefs meet in Super Bowl LVII it will mark the first time in league history that both of the starting quarterbacks in the game are Black. It’s a historic, and long overdue moment in a league where roughly 70 percent of the players are Black. ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, the former No. 2 overall pick, explains why it has taken more than 50 years to see two Black QBs in the Super Bowl…what it’s like for young Black QBs who aren’t always given the same opportunities to compete at the position. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all heard the football adage, “games are won in the trenches.” And this year’s Philadelphia Eagles are a prime example of this mentality. Philly has dominated along the line on both sides of the ball: their defensive line has the third-most sacks in NFL history, while their vaunted offensive line has kept Jalen Hurts safe, and is led by two generational talents in Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. All that being said, the trenches are still the part of the field that most people understand the least. What offensive and defensive linemen actually do is really hard to comprehend, especially if you have never done it. Chris Long won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2018, and he shines a spotlight on the d-line he played on, and the o-line he faced in practice every day…two units that could very well decide the fate of Super Bowl LVII. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Super Bowl Sunday is America’s most beloved holiday — the holiday that the greatest and most famous quarterbacks in the sport have spent their lives dreaming about winning — it does feel like Joe Montana is a bit like the ghost of Christmas past. Montana is the man Tom Brady grew up idolizing. The icon whose accolades — four championships and three Super Bowl MVPs — Patrick Mahomes is now actively trying to surpass. But, today, Wright Thompson takes us behind the scenes and inside the feelings of Joe Montana…whose present life offers an important clue about a superstar’s future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to Super Bowl LVII than Rihanna performing at halftime. You may have heard about a pair of brothers facing off for the first time in Super Bowl history. Or about the beef between Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who was the Eagles head coach for 14 championship-less seasons, before being fired…who’s now taking on his former team. One of Reid’s first moves after being hired as the Chiefs’ new coach the next year was to fire much of the staff…including an assistant by the name of Nick Sirianni. So Bill Barnwell joins us to break down these storylines, plus all the X’s and O’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love him or hate him, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is one of the best in the NFL. But beyond the flamboyance and flash, there’s a side most people haven’t seen...especially when it comes to his big brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce. And Sunday, both Kelce brothers will play in Super Bowl LVII. Ahead of the Big Game (or the “Kelce Bowl” as some are calling it), we’re playing an encore of our episode with Lisa Salters, as she describes the relationship between the two brothers. In fact, Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target may never have made it to the league if not for big brother Jason’s interventions along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s only a matter of when, not if, LeBron James breaks the all-time NBA scoring record, surpassing the current mark of 38,387 points held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar… which has stood for longer than LeBron has been alive. At times, it seems as if the career paths of both LeBron and Kareem have run parallel to each other. Both were among the best high school players in history, both infamously changed teams…and both are considered to be two of the greatest players we have ever seen. Despite that, their relationship has seemed non-existent and almost adversarial at times. So with James on the cusp of breaking one of the most hallowed records in sports, one held by his most impactful critic, we turned to Brian Windhorst…who has been covering LeBron longer than anyone on the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Brady is retiring...again. One year to the day after announcing his first retirement, Brady posted a video on social media announcing that he was done “for good.” Seth Wickersham has covered Brady up close for more than two decades, and he explains why this time Brady is retiring for real…and the opportunities that are already in the works for this new chapter of his life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NHL All-Star Weekend hits South Florida this weekend, but there’s one notable snub. Viktor E. Rat, the hometown Florida Panthers’ alternate mascot, will not be appearing and the fans are UPSET. Because Viktor E. Rat represents more than a costume…he is the personification of one of the most unusual traditions in all of sports: throwing rats onto the ice. It’s a hair-raising tradition that dates back to the ‘95-’96 season, when a Cinderella-esque Panthers team made the Stanley Cup Final in just their third year of existence. Emily Kaplan explains how the Panthers’ rat throwing tradition started, if it may or may not have contributed to the team’s long misfortunes…and the ways in which this generation’s Panthers are trying to write their own tale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been more than two years since Meyers Leonard last set foot on an NBA court. The former Miami Heat center had his most productive season ever in 2019-20, a season that ended with him playing for the NBA Championship in the bubble. But after a shoulder injury derailed his 2020-21 season, Leonard filled his time playing video games. And it was during one online game session in March of 2021 when Leonard would utter an antisemetic slur that would ignite a firestorm of controversy. Meyers was suspended by the Heat, before being traded to – and ultimately released by – the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jeremy Schaap sits down with Meyers Leonard, who finally opens up about his “huge, huge mistake” as well as the feelings of shame and regret he has felt since. It’s an interview that explores questions of ignorance and forgiveness…and possibly, a path back to the NBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Chiefs vs. Eagles in Super Bowl LVII! The Chiefs escaped with a last second win over the Bengals, thanks to some late game heroics by a hobbled Patrick Mahomes. In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles soared past the San Francisco 49ers, who ran out of quarterbacks after losing third stringer Brock Purdy to an elbow injury, and fourth stringer Josh Johnson was placed into concussion protocol early in the second half. Alex Smith takes us inside the mindsets of the quarterbacks and helps us understand key plays, as we break down the biggest moments from Championship Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are all Brett Maher…and whether you realize it or not, you are too. Every human being is at least a little bit like the Dallas Cowboys’ Kicker and NFL’s current poster boy for choking, flop-sweating, crapping the bed, whatever word you wanna use…even if you’d never admit it. Even if the person we all dream of being is Joe Burrow. So, today, David Epstein, best-selling author of THE SPORTS GENE and RANGE, takes us inside the Yips — and our own brains. Where we learn actual lessons that apply to both the very best athletes in the world, and the people who watch them. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patrick Mahomes is undoubtedly one of the most talented quarterbacks we have ever seen in the NFL…but there was a chance that his meteoric rise almost didn’t happen at all. Back in middle school, Mahomes was locked in a QB battle with a kid named Ryan Cheatham that lasted for years until his junior season. Mahomes and Cheatham grew up playing baseball and football together, and despite how fiercely competitive they were…they actually became best friends. So Ryan Hockensmith tells you everything about the position battle that made Patrick Mahomes. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This time of year, as the field of NFL contenders whittles down, the hot takes start to ramp up…and with it comes the usual tropes. Talk of quarterback legacies and the Cowboys’ never-ending failure abounds. But with Championship Sunday mere days away, we asked Mina Kimes to help us break new ground and get our heads around these two highly anticipated matchups. Can the Bengals’ depleted offensive line support Joe Burrow and overperform for the second week in a row? How much does Patrick Mahomes’ bum ankle hinder Kansas City’s offense? What gives in the strength-on-strength matchup between the Eagles O-line and the Niners D-line? Mina explains what we should really be paying attention to, and what we’ll be talking about after it’s all over. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just a few years ago in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Major League Baseball painted a picture of a dire financial situation across the league…but less than three years later, the finances – and the contracts dished out this offseason – paints the picture of a very healthy MLB economy: Aaron Judge reached a deal to stay in pinstripes for 9 years, $360 million. Trea Turner went back to the East Coast for an 11-year, $300 million agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rafael Devers became the highest paid player in Red Sox history with his new extension…and even Carlos Correa himself signed over $500 million worth of contracts, before landing with the Twins. But not everyone is happy about the billions of dollars on the move this offseason. Jeff Passan returns to talk about baseball’s evolving economy, and the resentment it’s fueling…not among fans, but among the owners themselves. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL playoffs are cruel. Take Dak Prescott…last week, he had the best game of his life against the Buccaneers. This week, his season ends on an inexplicable trick play that humiliates you in front of tens of millions of people. Or, take the Buffalo Bills…who were licking their chops to face a banged up Bengals offensive line, only to look completely outmatched in front of their home fans. So today, we ask our friend Alex Smith, a quarterback who’s been there before, to tell us what impressed him during the Divisional Round this weekend. And how the four teams left standing managed to make it this far. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Domonique Foxworth has a theory. Our current ESPN colleague is convinced that the job he used to have––NFL cornerback––is more interesting than it has ever been. So today, ahead of the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, we summon the heightened and unparalleled confidence of Domonique Foxworth. He brings all his diva cornerback vibes to explain why his old job is the biggest hidden secret-to-success in the NFL. And why, during a weekend full of superstar quarterbacks and the people who obsess over them––we should actually be focusing on his position’s Golden Age. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The path to the Super Bowl is starting to narrow. But after the truly super, Wild Card Weekend where we only saw one blowout, the remaining contenders are catching their breath after needing miracles, big and small, to make it out of the fourth quarter. So we called up our friend Bill Barnwell to take us through each matchup one-by-one…and he tells us what to expect from a divisional round where anything can happen. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s not just you, we really are seeing more high-scoring performances by NBA players than usual. We’ve seen 50-point performances from Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis, and counting this season…and that’s not including Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point game on January 2. It seems as though the saying “50 is the new 40” has finally made its way to the NBA, and it's become the dominant trend of the season…which left us asking ourselves, “why?” So naturally, we turned to the only person who could answer that question for us: Former San Antonio Spurs VP Kirk Goldsberry. Kirk helps us figure out why scoring is booming…and whether this trend is here to stay. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the dream of every sports fan: the star player on your favorite team goes down with an injury. The coach is desperate, and someone needs to step up. Somehow you, the average sports fan, get picked out of the stands to hit with the bases loaded, or step in at quarterback, or take the game winning shot. Obviously, that never happens in real life, or in sports, really…except for extremely rare occasions in hockey, thanks to the EBUG rule: which stands for Emergency Back-Up Goaltender. It’s a rule that requires NHL teams to have a random person standing by in the arena, ready to hit the ice should either team’s two goalies both get injured. Jeremy Schaap interviewed some EBUGs who have been called to action, and he brings us the stories of the lucky few who have lived every fan’s dream. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend did not disappoint, with nailbiting finishes, surprising upsets, and a comeback for the ages. Heavy favorites like the 49ers and Bills both advanced, although Dolphins put up a bigger fight in Buffalo than many anticipated. Meanwhile, the Giants continued their surprising season behind a resurgent Danny Dimes by upsetting the #3 seed Vikings. And the Bengals finished off their divisional rival Ravens with a 98-yard thicc six fumble return on what may be the worst QB sneak attempt of all time. Alex Smith, our Monday QB, breaks all the Wild Card action down for us…and helps us look ahead to Monday’s finale between the Bucs and Cowboys. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are Buffalo Bills fans called “Bills Mafia?” It’s a story that’s become legend within Buffalo. But outside of Bills fandom, the story is less well known, even for the individuals involved with the creation of Bills Mafia themselves. Twelve years ago, Stevie Johnson dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, and seemingly blamed God on Twitter, in the aftermath. That moment sparked a movement among Bills fans, and inspired Bills Mafia as we know it now. So today, ESPN Daily investigates: hear Adam Schefter, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson, Ryan Clark, and more explain their roles in how a divine blunder branded the NFL’s most devoted fanbase, Bills Mafia. Buffalo Bills beat reporter Alaina Getzenberg and Bills Mafia co-founder Del Reid also share the other side of Bills Mafia: the force for charity, as the community rallies around Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s recovery. To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America is a French goose of a nation on Super Wild Card Weekend—a kind football foie gras about to be force-fed a seemingly endless menu of expensive, high-stakes NFL playoff games, until we luxuriously burst. So today, we ask our friend Bill Barnwell—the sharpest and most empirically minded football analyst we know—to explain how he’s attacking these half-a-dozen dishes. Will numerous quarterback injuries spoil the meal? Is Tom Brady about to eat humble pie? Can Dak and the Cowboys sugarcoat over their recent struggles? Bill helps us manage our expectations, and our livers, in the process. -------- To help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year, we've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist. We think you’ll love every episode on there, so check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you live in the United Kingdom, you probably know the voice of Wayne Mardle. But after last week, millions of people around the world suddenly got a taste of him calling the World Darts Championship final – a genuinely historic duel between Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands and Michael Smith of England. And Wayne’s commentary helped make it the most globally viral thing that’s pretty much ever happened to this admittedly strange game. So, today, for everyone who watched that clip with awe (and maybe a little confusion too) we bring you Wayne Mardle himself, as he tells the glorious story of the darts game that was heard around the world. We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from the past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The family feud between the Berhalters and the Reynas is unlike anything we’ve seen in sports. It feels more comparable to Shakespeare, or Game of Thrones, or even Star Wars. But it became all so real when Claudio Reyna, childhood friend of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, and father of rising star Gio Reyna, along with his wife Danielle, exposed a 1991 domestic violence incident between Berhalter and his now-wife Rosalind…seemingly in response to Gio being benched at the World Cup. It’s a tragic dispute between two of US soccer’s most famous families. Kyle Bonagura, who has been covering this as it unfolded, tells us what exactly caused this massive rift between former friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The final ticket to the NFL playoffs has been punched, and it belongs to the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks stayed alive with an overtime field goal over the LA Rams, and they got the help they needed from the Detroit Lions, who spoiled the playoff hopes (and bit the kneecaps) of the Green Bay Packers. The final week of the regular season was also the most emotional, especially for the Buffalo Bills, playing for the first time since Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on Monday night. Add to that a Jaguars team completing a shocking turnaround from a season ago to make the playoffs, as well as a Chiefs play that looked like it belonged at a kindergarten recess, and there is only one NFL analyst who can make sense of all of it, our friend Mina Kimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s hard to find a more unlikely college football journey than that of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett. He first arrived in Athens as a walk-on in 2017 and a year later, when five-star recruit Justin Fields committed to the Bulldogs, Bennett transferred to Jones County Junior College. He returned to Georgia in 2019, and didn’t get his shot as the starter for two more years after that. But now, Bennett has been a Heisman finalist, and a national championship-winning quarterback…who is about to play for his second. So we called our friend Ryan McGee to put into context how unusual Bennett’s story is…and how a former walk-on is now on the brink of college football immortality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pelé is without question one of the most famous people to ever live. He won three World Cups for Brazil from 1958-1970, and is widely regarded as the benchmark to which today’s greatest players are compared. Pelé died on Dec. 29 at the age of 82. ESPN Global Sports Correspondent Sam Borden is on the ground in Brazil for the funeral, and he tells us what he’s seen in Pelé’s hometown…and how his death has reverberated around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Damar Hamlin’s name has been echoing across sports for the last two days. On Monday night, the 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety collapsed on the field during the Bills-Bengals game in Cincinnati, where he was administered CPR and eventually taken to a Cincinnati hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Tyler Dunne, a Buffalo based journalist and founder of Go Long, a football focused newsletter, profiled Hamlin in 2021 after he’d been drafted by the Bills. As the world awaits additional updates on Hamlin’s condition, Dunne shares Hamlin’s story of resiliency and family, and paints a portrait of the man the entire world is just now learning about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're republishing one of those episodes, which originally ran on July 22, 2022: There are many ways to describe ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian: Brilliant. Hilarious. Competitive. And above all, passionate. Passionate about the game of baseball. But now, there’s another way to describe Tim Kurkjian: Hall of Famer. Over the summer, Kurkjian received the Career Excellence Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America. In an encore, we celebrate the life and career of our favorite baseball nerd: the story of a short, skinny kid who took a love of baseball, and not much else, and made it all the way to Cooperstown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're revisiting another great episode, originally published on June 27, 2022: In June, the Avalanche beat the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup, sending the trophy back to Colorado for the first time since 2001. It was an era when the Avalanche, and their archrivals the Detroit Red Wings, were engaged in a multi-year blood feud that became the center of the hockey universe. It was a rivalry perhaps best remembered for a game played 25 years ago, on March 26, 1997 in Detroit’s Joe Lewis Arena, and is now better remembered as “Fight Night at the Joe.” During the first period, Detroit’s Darren McCarty sought revenge on Colorado’s Claude Lemieux for a violent check in the previous year’s playoffs on the Red Wings’ Kris Draper. The hit caused severe injuries to Draper’s face, enraging the Red Wings, who were furious that Lemieux refused to even apologize to Draper. Now, a quarter-century later, those who were part of it are opening up about what made the rivalry so intense, as part of E:60’s “Unvrivaled.” In an encore of one of our favorite shows from the last year, Detroit native Dave Fleming joins us to discuss the trajectory of the rivalry and why we may never see anything like it again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're republishing one of those episodes, which originally ran on November 18, 2022: It’s no surprise that the athlete's mental health has been one of the biggest topics in sports in recent years, as more and more players are coming forward with the struggles they face in dealing with the constant pressure. The screaming fans, the pressure, and the high-stakes moments are exactly what makes sports so compelling. In an encore presentation, we offer an extended conversation with JJ Redick, a man who has both thrived and suffered under the pressure of elite competition, on how we should think about the strain on athletes’ mental health…while also acknowledging that watching human beings succeed or fail in high pressure situations is exactly what makes them worth watching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're republishing one of those episodes, which originally ran on September 30, 2022: The story of Betsy Sailor and Irv Pankey is unlike any you’ve heard before. It’s a story that, for years, was shrouded in darkness, tied inextricably to the unspeakable crimes of a former Penn State football player named Todd Hodne. ESPN’s Tom Junod and Paula Lavigne first brought Hodne’s horrific crimes to light this spring in their meticulously reported feature “Untold.” But in the midst of their reporting, they stumbled onto another, completely opposite story. A story of compassion, friendship, and ultimately, 40 years later…love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're republishing one of those episodes, which originally ran on October 4, 2022: In 2021, the National Women’s Soccer League faced a crisis. Explosive allegations from players of abuse, sexual harassment, and unrelenting coercion by one of the NWSL’s most successful head coaches set off a reckoning across the entire league. The commissioner resigned. Games were canceled. Players had no collective bargaining agreement and the specter of a canceled season loomed, all while governing bodies opened investigations into misconduct and toxic work environments. And in October, a long-awaited report investigating the failures of the NWSL was released by former acting attorney general Sally Yates, which detailed systemic abuse within the league, and specifically “a culture of abuse, silence, and fear of retaliation” that perpetuated the misconduct. Jennifer Karson-Strauss directed the E60 film, “Truth Be Told: The Fight for Women’s Professional Soccer,” and joins the show to discuss the film’s investigation into allegations of abuse, sexual coercion and a toxic work environment in the league, as well as the lack of action taken by NWSL leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're republishing one of those episodes, which originally ran on April 29, 2022: A little over 30 years ago, April 29, 1992, the city of Los Angeles went to war with itself. Riots erupted on the streets following the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King. It was a verdict that provoked outrage because the incident was captured on video, triggering a national debate over police brutality. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers was a guard for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992. In an encore of one of our favorite shows from 2022, Doc shares how the sports world at large reacted to the verdict and the riots that followed, and how the social responsibilities of an athlete have changed in the 30 years since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're revisiting another great episode, originally published on March 18, 2022: The Iditarod is the most famous dog sled race in the entire world, run across 1000 miles through the Alaskan wilderness. And while the event brings to mind images of furry dogs and beautiful landscapes, the race is incredibly challenging and dangerous. Liz Merrill traveled up north and spent time with Bridgett Watkins, an ER nurse who competed in the race for the first time in 2022, despite her team enduring a brutal attack by a bull moose in February. In an encore of one of our favorite shows from 2022, Merrill shares Watkins’ experience and story of survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're revisiting another great episode, originally published on December 25, 2019: It’s one of the most infamous fan stories in sports history: when Eagles fans booed Santa at halftime of a game played at Franklin Field. But who was the Santa in question - and why was he booed and pelted with snowballs? It’s ESPN Daily’s Christmas tradition to bring you this episode, so hear an encore with Jeremy Schaap and Mina Kimes as they reflect on the enduring legacy of the Philadelphia Santa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've collected our favorite episodes of 2022 into one playlist, to help ensure you didn't miss any of our best stories from this past year. And on today's show, we're revisiting another great episode, originally published on December 8, 2021: Extra, extra, read all about it! Maroons Championship STOLEN! The Pottsville Maroons were one of the greatest early NFL teams, but the league stripped them of their 1925 championship and gave it to the (then) Chicago Cardinals. Thus, a curse was born. Almost a century later, could the stolen championship be behind the Arizona Cardinals’ lack of Super Bowl success? Dave Fleming wrote the book on it, called Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship. In an encore of one of our favorite shows, Flem takes us inside the story, and his mission for NFL justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It took 294 days, but Brittney Griner is back home. On December 8, the WNBA star was freed in a prisoner swap with Russia for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, ending an almost year-long fight for her freedom by her loved ones, teammates, fans, and the White House. But just because Griner is back home, doesn’t mean her life will ever be the same. We called up TJ Quinn to close the book on the biggest story we have continuously covered all year…and he tells us how we got Griner back, what her readjustment is expected to be like…and when we might next see her on a basketball court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices