The Lead

Plus: A tough weekend for the NFL’s old guard, while some young stars shine bright. And a former-MLS superstar is making waves in the Premier League.

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Tennessee turned a whole lot of heads last weekend, outlasting previously undefeated Alabama in a 52-49 shootout for the ages. And among the throngs of students and clouds of cigar smoke that enveloped the field after the win was head coach Josh Heupel, who took a moment to savor the win -- and perhaps experience some deja vu. That's because what Heupel has done in his first two years in Tennessee is eerily similar, at least so far, to what he did in his first two years as a quarterback at Oklahoma. The Athletic's Joe Rexrode joins us today to explain the uncanny parallels, and to discuss whether Josh Heupel of today can do what Josh Heupel of 2000 did, and win an improbable national championship.

Read Joe Rexrode's full story about Josh Heupel, past and present:

https://theathletic.com/3639769/2022/10/05/tennessee-josh-heupel-sec-football/

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For Zion Williamson, Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets marks his first regular season NBA game in 17 months and more than 500 days. Today, The Athletic’s Will Guillory tells us about Zion’s long road back from a broken foot, the workouts that have reportedly left him in peak physical condition, and the inspiration he drew from an album that was released before he was born: Ready to Die from The Notorious B.I.G.

Follow Will Guillory’s coverage of the New Orleans Pelicans: https://theathletic.com/author/william-guillory/ 

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Plus: The Yankees face a win or go home game in Cleveland. And Liverpool turn back the clock against Manchester City.

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Will the Colorado Avalanche repeat as Stanley Cup champions? Will Connor McDavid reclaim his MVP crown? Can the Toronto Maple Leafs actually win a playoff series? With the 2022-23 NHL season now officially underway, The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek joins us to discuss these and other burning questions, and to try and replicate his previous feat of successfully predicting the two Stanley Cup finalists.

More from Eric Duhatschek: https://theathletic.com/author/eric-duhatschek/

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After winning the NBA title this past summer, things appeared to be going pretty smoothly for the Warriors heading into the new season. But then, last week, Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole at practice — and turmoil arrived for the defending champs. Today, with less than one week to go until their title defense tips off, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater to look at all the fallout from the Draymond-Poole saga, and whether this team has enough time to put it all together before the season starts. (Note: News broke early Wednesday morning that Draymond Green is expected to rejoin the Warriors on Thursday.)

Follow Anthony Slater’s coverage of the Warriors: https://theathletic.com/author/anthony-slater/

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After a six-month sprint through the regular season, the MLB Playoffs get underway on Friday. To get us ready for October, The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt joins the show to look at the stars and storylines that will define the postseason, including Aaron Judge and the Yankees hoping to harness their first-half dominance, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers aiming to build on a 111-win season, and a slightly different path for the Braves as they try to earn a rare World Series repeat.

Follow Stephen Nesbitt’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/stephen-j-nesbitt/

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Over the past two years, a massive welfare fraud scheme has been simmering in Mississippi. And a key player in that scandal is Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre. With the help of a former Mississippi governor, Favre was able to direct state welfare funds -- money that was intended to help poor people -- to the University of Southern Mississippi for the purpose of building a new volleyball stadium. The Athletic’s Katie Strang and Kalyn Kahler join us today to break down that scandal, and to talk about their own investigative work, which revealed new information about Favre's charity.

Read Katie and Kalyn's full story about Favre 4 Hope: https://theathletic.com/3639243/2022/09/28/brett-favre-welfare-mississippi/

Read Mississippi Today's coverage of the welfare scandal: https://mississippitoday.org/

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Plus: A sweep with massive implications means there is a new presumptive champ in the NL East. And everyone’s new favorite college football team resides in Lawrence.

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A little over a month ago, on August 28th, it seemed like a normal morning at the headquarters of Eastern Kentucky football. The season opener was five days away. A team staffer was restocking the coach’s refrigerator. And inside his office, that coach — Walt Wells — was dropping to the floor, having a heart attack. Today, Richard Johnson from Sports Illustrated tells the story of how Wells almost died that morning in August, the staffers who rushed to the scene to keep him alive, and the fight the coach faced even after he was in the hospital.

Read Richard Johnson’s full story about Walt Wells: https://www.si.com/college/2022/09/21/eastern-kentucky-coach-walt-wells-football-survives-daily-cover

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