The Lead

We’ve had a full day to recover from the opening two rounds of March Madness, four days that brought us cheerleader heroics, iconic mustaches, and some truly stunning performances — none more so than the Sweet 16 run of the St. Peter’s Peacocks. Today, The Athletic’s C.J. Moore — who has been on site covering the tournament in Texas — helps us try to make sense of all the chaos we’ve seen so far in the NCAA Tournament, and which teams now have the best shot to win it all.

Follow C.J. Moore’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament and college basketball: https://theathletic.com/author/cj-moore/?source=theleadpodcast

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At his introductory press conference a few weeks ago, American soccer coach Jesse Marsch brought up the fictional TV character that he knew he would be asked about: Ted Lasso. It was Marsch's way of addressing the elephant in the room -- the fact that he, an American, had been selected to lead one of the most historic clubs in English football, and to try and rescue their season. Now, with four games under his belt, it appears that Marsch just might be working some Ted Lasso-esque magic in Leeds. The Athletic's Phil Hay joins us to discuss why the club selected Marsch to succeed club legend Marcelo Bielsa, and what we've learned from his -- and the team's -- performance so far.

More from Phil Hay: https://theathletic.com/author/phil-hay/

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Thanks to the Netflix, the hottest sport in America right now might just be Formula 1. The series has brought international auto racing to a whole new audience and its popularity just keeps growing. So with the F1 season set to kick off this weekend, The Athletic’s Matt Slater joins us to talk about what makes 'Drive To Survive' so compelling, what the series has done to help the sport reach new audiences, and whether this new wave of sports docs is actually a good thing.

Read Matt Slater’s Story About 'Drive To Survive': https://theathletic.com/3003362/2021/12/12/drive-to-survive-the-f1-documentary-that-has-changed-a-sport/ 

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Major League Baseball Opening Day is just three weeks away, and we’ve seen a wave of significant deals as teams scramble to put together their rosters. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt to break down some of those key moves — including the World Series champion Braves’ acquisition of Matt Olson, and the big waves made by the Mariners, Mets and others — as we fly toward the start of the season. Plus, with Kris Bryant signing with the Rockies on Wednesday, what’s next for unsigned free agents Carlos Correa and Trevor Story? (Also: With the news breaking very early on Thursday that Freddie Freeman is signing with the Dodgers, Stephen tells us just how dangerous L.A.'s roster could be.)

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

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When Zion Williamson came to town nearly three years ago, he was the hero that New Orleans Pelicans fans needed -- a Southern superstar who could pick up the pieces that Anthony Davis left behind. Fans welcomed him with open arms and a literal jazz ensemble. Now, after three injury-plagued seasons, more than 120 games missed, long periods of silence from Zion, and questions about his level of commitment to the team, does the city feel differently about its messiah? The Athletic's Will Guillory, a native New Orleanian, explains.

More from Will Guillory:

https://theathletic.com/3145326/2022/02/23/guillory-if-zion-williamson-wants-the-noise-to-stop-his-actions-need-to-start-matching-his-words/

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Every year, the average person spends six hours filling out their brackets to try and dominate their March Madness pool. But what if I told you there was a way to get the perfect bracket in minutes instead of hours? Today, The Athletic’s resident college hoops guru, Seth Davis, gives us the skinny on who to watch in the tournament, which teams will bust your bracket, and who is going to come out on top in the end.

See all of Seth Davis’ March Madness picks here: https://theathletic.com/3181741/2022/03/14/2022-ncaa-tournament-seth-davis-picks-his-entire-march-madness-bracket/ 

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NFL free agency starts this week, but the fireworks have already started flying around the league, from Tom Brady to Russell Wilson to Aaron Rodgers to Carson Wentz. Today, The Athletic’s Stephen Holder breaks down the big QB deals that have already happened, and the off-field stories that have shaken the NFL lately, including the impact of Calvin Ridley's gambling suspension on the league, and what's next after a grand jury's decision not to indict Deshaun Watson. 

Follow Stephen Holder’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/stephen-holder/?source=theleadpodcast 

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The Paralympics are in full swing in Beijing, and there have been plenty of great moments to savor. Today, we look at the incredible performance of athletes from Ukraine, who are winning loads of medals even while their friends and families back home remain under siege, the rise of China as a dominant force at the Paralympics, and the most memorable performances so far from Team USA.

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Caitlin Clark is one of the most exciting players in all of college basketball. She launches shots from near half-court, spins audacious passes, and she has the numbers to back up the style too. But she’s not content with just dominating the basketball court, the sophomore point guard has dreams of becoming a mogul down the line. Today, The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton joins us to talk about where Clark’s unrelenting self belief comes from, a growing relationship with an NBA superstar, and tells us who could get in the Hawkeye’s way for their first berth in a Final Four since 1993.

Read Brian Hamilton’s story about Caitlin Clark here: https://theathletic.com/3129249/2022/02/17/caitlin-clark-wants-it-all-how-the-iowa-star-plans-to-conquer-college-basketball-and-the-wide-open-world-beyond-it/ 

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The struggling L.A. Lakers lost again on Monday night, part of a second-half slide that has seen their record drop to eight games under .500. And in the midst of all that losing, there are big questions on the horizon when it comes to the future of LeBron James. Today, The Athletic’s Bill Oram tells us where things stand with LeBron and the Lakers, and why his struggling superstar teammate, Russell Westbrook, has reached a point where he doesn’t want his kids coming to games. Plus, Bill’s perspective on the new HBO series, ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’.

Follow Bill Oram’s coverage of the Lakers: https://theathletic.com/author/bill-oram/?source=theleadpodcast

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