Week 7 in the NFL featured several of the biggest regular season battles that we’ve seen this season. While a Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers sort of fizzled out. Games between the Packers and Texans, and Lions and Vikings came down to the wire.

And that’s before we even look at the newest toy in Aaron Rodgers toybox.

So today, Ben Solak helps us understand all the highlights and stand out moments from Sunday.

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It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Black men were really allowed to play quarterback in professional football. And it took another 20 years or so for Black stars to emerge at the position. 

The lineage of runs from James “Shack” Harrris, the first black player to start a season at quarterback in the history of pro football, to Doug Williams, the first black player to start and win a Super Bowl, to Michael Vick, the first black quarterback to go first in the draft, to Warren Moon, the first black quarterback enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

But in the past few years, we’ve gone from the presence of a black man under center being remarkable, to being, well, unremarkable. 

Andscape’s Senior NFL writer Jason Reid literally wrote the book on this, Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it Means for America, and he’s on the show to discuss how we got to this era, and also look at the future of the next man up. Jayden Daniels.

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Though the play has been a bit ugly at times, the New York Yankees are sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS. Meanwhile, the New York Mets are looking to keep their improbable run alive as they face a crucial Game 4 against the prohibitive favorite L.A. Dodgers. No doubt October baseball takes on a different flavor when both New York teams make deep runs. 

So today, as these two series swing to new venues, Jeff Passan gives us his insider’s view on the League Championships, including why the Mets and Dodgers have more in common than you may think, and why Yankees v. Guardians is starting to look like varsity versus JV. 

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The New York Liberty were one of the original franchises when the WNBA debuted in 1997.

And despite the chaos of getting a professional sports team off the ground in six months, they were able to hit the ground running, making multiple appearances in the Finals.

That magic run screeched to a halt as quickly as it started and the Liberty suddenly found themselves exiled out of New York City and playing in a 90-year-old arena in front of a handful of fans

So today, Michael Voepel tells the story of how the Liberty were reborn in Brooklyn and are now a superteam in search of that elusive first WNBA Championship.

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx airs tonight at 8pm Eastern on ESPN.

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On Sunday, Jerry West became the first person inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and contributor. West, who passed away in June of this year, left behind a legacy as a player, coach, executive, and is known for literally being the logo of the NBA.

But he was also known for his obsessive pursuit of greatness, one that often left him incapable of enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Today, ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes details the impact that the feud between West and the Los Angeles Lakers left on the basketball great’s life.

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One season, one achilles injury, and a meager two wins in 2024 is all the Robert Saleh - Aaron Rodgers pairing has to show for itself with the Jets. Saleh is out as head coach of Gang Green after a rough start to the season. But for Saleh, his team, and pundits everywhere, it came as a surprise. Especially considering that with a win tonight, the Jets would be in first place in the AFC East.

So today, ESPN NFL Nation reporter Rich Cimini, who’s covered the Jets since the first Bush administration, explains: how it all went down, what, if anything Rodgers had to do with Saleh’s dismissal, and wonders if there’s time left, to save the Jets season.

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On the eve of yet another chapter of the iconic Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, Barry Switzer – at the age of 87 – stands alone as the link from college football’s colorful past to its explosive present.

And his story is a true American tale. From growing up as the son of a bootlegger to winning national titles at Oklahoma to running a sought-after Airbnb on game days, Coach Switzer has always pledged to take care of everyone in his world.

But what happens when that world isn’t complete? What happens when a phone call from his past changes everything?

Today, Dave Wilson answers all those questions and delivers an incredible story of how the King of Oklahoma discovered roots he didn’t know he ever had. 

The Red River Rivalry – No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma – comes to you live from the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, October 12th, at 3: 30 EST on ABC and ESPN+.

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With NBA media days behind us and preseason games under way, we are officially counting down the days until the start of the NBA season on October 22. And though the defending champion Boston Celtics are looking to run it back with more or less the same roster, there are plenty of new faces in new places for us to get used to. 

Today, Brian Windhorst tells us why Bronny James’ arrival might actually be exactly what LeBron and the Lakers need, why the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most unique favorites we’ve ever seen, and why Paul George doesn’t solve the Sixers biggest problem.

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Postseason baseball is theater in the greatest sense. Taking the scale of sport’s longest season and distilling it down to a short series just ratchets up the intensity like nowhere else.

And this year, the bad blood between the teams in all four of the divisional series creates a soap opera like none other.

So today, MLB Insider, Jeff Passan, looks ahead at tonight's ALDS action and checks in on the vibes in the NLDS. And explains how hatred is okay, as long as you mind the line between tension and toxicity.

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In June, we saw the NHL season culminate in an epic Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid, the biggest star in the game, nearly led his Oilers back from a three, nothing deficit. But in the end, the Florida Panthers, once the laughing stock of the league, took the title in a decisive game seven. 

So today, with a new season getting underway, Greg Wyshynski is here to help us get used to the idea of a prestige franchise in South Florida, explain what the Oilers did in the offseason to take some pressure off their team, and take stock of one of hockey's greatest records and when it may finally fall. 

For more on the Panthers’ “rat trick” tradition, check out our episode from 2022. 

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