The Lead

In early August, Serena Williams published an essay in Vogue, announcing her intention to step away from tennis. Given her recent injuries and struggles on the court — including an embarrassing exit in Cincinnati just a few weeks ago — many people feared that the 40 year-old might go out with a whimper at this year's US Open. Oh how wrong they were. After defeating #2 seed Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday night, Serena made clear that she is not just here to say a ceremonial goodbye — she's here to compete for yet another championship. Today, Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated joins us to talk about Serena's transcendent career, and why this latest chapter is just one of many examples of the superstar defying the odds and doing the impossible.

Read Jon Wertheim's story about how Serena Williams changed tennis:

https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/06/27/serena-williams-wimbledon-2022-daily-cover

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The last time we saw the Indianapolis Colts in a regular season game, they were blowing what was calculated as a 97 percent chance of making the playoffs, as they dropped their final game of the season to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a loss that left a lot of people — including the team’s owner, Jim Irsay — in disbelief, and it led to a major change at quarterback: Matt Ryan in, Carson Wentz out. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer to look at how the team has tried to put that devastating collapse behind them, and why they believe things could be different in 2022.

Follow Zak Keefer’s coverage of the Colts: https://theathletic.com/author/zak-keefer/

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Plus: A matchup of championship contenders in the WNBA playoffs. And a young slugger ties down his future for a long, LONG time.

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Earlier this year, four female college athletes died by suicide in just eight weeks. Those deaths stunned many people, and reopened a conversation about mental health among student-athletes — particularly female student-athletes. One important new voice in that conversation belongs to Cailin Bracken, a junior lacrosse player at Vanderbilt. With college sports about to resume, Cailin joins us today to talk about her own struggles with mental health, as well as an eating disorder, and what she thinks college coaches and administrators can do to help prevent future tragedies.

Read Calin's open letter to college sports:

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/women/cailin-bracken-a-letter-to-college-sports

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When you look across the landscape of Major League Baseball, it’s clear that the biggest surprise among all the division leaders is the team that sits at the top of the AL Central: the Cleveland Guardians. Today, The Athletic’s Zack Meisel joins us to look at some of the key players behind the team’s success, and the extreme throwback style they’re using to get it done. Plus, the uncanny ability of star third baseman Jose Ramirez to lose helmets.

Follow Zack Meisel’s coverage of the Guardians: https://theathletic.com/author/zack-meisel/

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Plus: Tom Brady’s strange week ends up in the land of conspiracy theories. And a historic heavyweight bout could be on the cards – if the price is right. 

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Last weekend, Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford, a club that has only been in the Premier League for two seasons, and that last defeated mighty Man United in 1938. And for many supporters of the Red Devils, who have suffered through nearly a decade of frustration and disappointment, it felt like a new low point for the club. So what, exactly, has gone wrong at Manchester United? How have the former kings of Europe now become a club in shambles, and in last place in the Premier League? The Athletic’s Adam Crafton joins us to explain -- and to offer a small sliver of hope.

More from Adam Crafton: https://theathletic.com/author/adam-crafton/

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As a rookie, Ja’Marr Chase had one of the most spectacular rookie seasons you’ll see, pilling up 1,455 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns, and making highlight-reel catches all the way through a showdown with Jalen Ramsey in the Super Bowl. What made that even more stunning — beyond just the numbers — is that Chase pulled it off after some high-profile struggles early on. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. to look at how the Bengals are planning for Chase to unlock even more of his game in his second season, and the connection with his quarterback (and neighbor), Joe Burrow, that helps make it possible. 

Read Paul Dehner Jr.’s full story about Ja’Marr Chase: https://theathletic.com/3495290/2022/08/10/jamarr-chase-cincinnati-bengals-2/

And check out his Bengals podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hear-that-podcast-growlin-a-show-about-the/id1477129521

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Plus: The Padres are not happy with their statue contract slugger. And Erik Ten Hag wants everyone to know that United aren’t losing because of him. 

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Last week, the man that many people consider the greatest sports broadcaster of all time, Vin Scully, died at the age of 94. For 67 years, Scully was the iconic and unmistakable voice of the Dodgers, who started out calling games in Brooklyn in 1950, and signed off for the final time in 2016. Today, five writers share their memories of Vin Scully the broadcaster, the storyteller, and the person. 

Our guests on this episode:

Steve Rushin

Jayson Stark

Fabian Ardaya

Gustavo Arellano

Rich Hammond

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