The Lead

Being a long snapper in the NFL is one of the stranger jobs in all of sports. You spend your time hunched over, trying to throw perfect spirals backwards and between your legs -- in high pressure situations – and no one really knows about you or cares about you unless something goes terribly, horribly wrong. Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt recently went down the long snapping rabbit hole, and today he takes us into the upside-down world of these men – a world filled with quirky perfectionists, a lot of down time, and the desire to finally get the respect they feel they deserve.

Read Alex Prewitt's full story:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/11/16/inside-economics-evolution-politics-of-long-snappers-daily-cover

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It's been a while since there has been this much hype around an NBA prospect. Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3-inch,18-year-old French basketball sensation, has been turning heads around the world for years now, and has even captured the imaginations of the NBA's biggest superstars, who have all gushed about his skills and incredible potential. But what makes Wembanyama even more intriguing is his unusual way of seeing the world. Tania Ganguli of The New York Times recently spent time with the teenage star in France, and she joins us today to explain into how he has always done things differently, and why that might make him even better prepared for NBA superstardom.

Read Tania Ganguli's full story about Victor Wembanyama:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/16/sports/basketball/victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-2023.html

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Plus: An unexpected hero keeps Germany World Cup dreams afloat. And after 30 near misses, a decorated skier finally ends up on top. 

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On Wednesday, Canada played its first game of the 2022 World Cup against the team ranked #2 in the world -- Belgium. And despite losing the game 1-0, Canada absolutely dominated and, in the process, sent a powerful message to the world: Canada is no joke. Our team here at The Lead is off enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, so today we're replaying an episode that first aired back in January, about the rise of soccer in hockey-crazy Canada. The Athletic's Joshua Kloke joined us to talk about the sport's rapid increase in popularity, the men's team's so-called "golden generation" of players, and how the team's coach, John Herdman, made the relatively rare leap from women's soccer to men's.

More from Josh Kloke: https://theathletic.com/author/joshua-kloke/

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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has pulled a few rabbits out of his hat this year. For one thing, he’s taken a team that finished 4-13 last season and, without significant roster changes, started out this season 7-3. And it turns out, Daboll literally has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. The Athletic’s Dan Pompei recently spent time with Daboll (and got a first hand look at his sleight of hand), and today Dan breaks the magician’s code and reveals the secret to Brian Daboll’s football magic. But is the Giants’ success really just an illusion?

Read Dan Pompei's profile of Brian Daboll:

https://theathletic.com/3894690/2022/11/17/brian-daboll-giants-turnaround-magic/

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Plus: The Vikings officially go on fraud watch after a drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys. And the top two teams in women’s college hoops put on a show in Palo Alto — and send an important message along the way.

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Lionel Messi has won just about everything there is to win in soccer -- scoring titles, Champions League trophies, a Copa America championship, and a record seven Ballon d'Ors as the world's top player. But the one thing that has eluded him is the prize that matters most to him and his fellow Argentines -- the World Cup. With the tournament set to kick off on Sunday in Qatar, The Athletic's Ed Malyon, who cut his teeth as a soccer journalist in Argentina, joins us today to discuss Messi’s incredible accomplishments and high-profile failures, his complicated relationship with his home nation, and what’s at stake for him in his final World Cup.

More from Ed Malyon: https://theathletic.com/author/ed-malyon/

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Heading into this season, a lot of people weren’t expecting much from the Seattle Seahawks, as they went from Russell Wilson to 32-year-old journeyman Geno Smith. Fast forward 10 weeks into the season, and Smith — the quarterback people wrote off — is playing at an MVP level. Today, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar helps us take a closer look at how the synergy between Geno Smith and Pete Carroll has powered the Seahawks to the top of the NFC West heading into their bye. And, after a loss in Germany on Sunday (in front of a ton of overseas Seahawks fans), are the team’s best days still ahead?

Follow Michael-Shawn Dugar’s coverage of the Seahawks: https://theathletic.com/author/michael-shawn-dugar/

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Plus: Joel Embiid puts up an all-time stat line in a much needed win for the Sixers. And the PAC-12 sees two College Football Playoff contenders go down hard.

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