The Lead

The MLB Playoffs begin tonight, and there are some mouth-watering matchups: Yankees vs. Red Sox, Dodgers vs. Cardinals, Astros vs. White Sox, Brewers vs. Braves. And there are a whole lot of questions: Who will emerge from the do-or-die wildcard matchups? Who will end up as World Series champions? And what burning questions do each of these teams face? The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli joins us to break it all down.

Read Brittany Ghiroli's story about the challenges facing each team:

https://theathletic.com/2865132/2021/10/04/yankees-dodgers-and-more-1-burning-question-for-every-team-in-the-mlb-postseason/

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On Monday Night Football tonight, one the NFL's hottest dynamic duos will take center stage: Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen. The Athletic's Daniel Popper recently sat down with Herbert and Allen, and he joins us to explain how, after a rocky start, the two have developed a special kind of chemistry -- and why comparisons to all-time great QB-WR duos are not out of the question. Then, we break down their matchup with the AFC West-leading Raiders.

Read Daniel Popper's full story about Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen:

https://theathletic.com/2807609/2021/09/08/justin-herbert-and-keenan-allen-the-nfls-next-great-qb-wr-duo/

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On Thursday, The Athletic’s Meg Linehan published a bombshell report that led to the near-immediate firing of Paul Riley, head coach of the North Carolina Courage and two-time NWSL coach of the year. Meg joins us today to talk about the troubling accusations in her story, and the moment of reckoning it has created within the sport.

Read Meg Linehan's full report:

https://theathletic.com/2857633/2021/09/30/this-guy-has-a-pattern-amid-institutional-failure-former-nwsl-players-accuse-prominent-coach-of-sexual-coercion/

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The NFL has managed to get the vast majority of its players vaccinated, thanks to a set of rules that make life pretty difficult -- and football careers much more challenging -- for those who refuse to get a shot. Meanwhile, the league has also made moves to cut down on taunting, causing some critics to bring back the old "No Fun League" label. Lindsay Jones, a national NFL writer for The Athletic, joins us to break down these rules, how they're being enforced, and why they've created some divides within the league.

Related stories from Lindsay Jones:

https://theathletic.com/2828959/2021/09/21/unvaccinated-nfl-players-living-a-very-different-experience-than-their-vaxxed-teammates/

https://theathletic.com/2843970/2021/09/24/as-nfl-taunting-calls-increase-so-do-complaints-about-how-no-fun-league-rule-is-applied/

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At the start of this month, the St. Louis Cardinals were barely hanging on at the fringe of the playoff picture. Now, they've clinched a spot in the postseason and are on a 17-game winning streak. Today, Katie Woo, who covers the Cardinals for The Athletic, breaks down the factors behind the team's dramatic turnaround and historic run, including the two veteran stars who have been with the team for more than 15 years -- and discusses how much noise the Cards can make in the postseason.

More from Katie Woo:

https://theathletic.com/author/katie-woo/

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Last week, just days before the start of their training camp — and a few weeks before the start of the NBA season — the Minnesota Timberwolves made a decision that shocked a lot of people, firing their President of Basketball Operations, Gersson Rosas. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania reported on all the factors that led the team to fire Rosas now — including the impending ownership change to Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez — and today, Jon joins us to break it all down.

Read Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania’s story about the Gersson Rosas firing: https://theathletic.com/2843710/2021/09/22/gersson-rosas-and-his-downfall-why-the-timberwolves-fired-him-just-days-before-training-camp/?source=theleadpodcast

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After three weeks of competitive action, it looks like the AFC West is the most competitive division in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers upended the five time divisional champ Chiefs, while the Raiders and Broncos remained undefeated. Today, The Athletic's Ted Nguyen breaks down the already white hot divisional race out west and he tells us if Justin Fields rough debut in Chicago could have a long-term impact on the rookie quarterback's development.

Read all of Ted Nguyen's NFL coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/ted-nguyen/

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From the time he started playing baseball, Sang Ho Baek told his parents that he was going to become a famous pitcher, and would buy them a house someday. Then, after the family moved to the U.S. and Sang began blossoming as a player, his dream seemed within reach. But now the family is trying to bear the weight of a terrible tragedy -- and is looking for answers.

Read Stephen Nesbitt's story about Sang Ho Baek:

https://theathletic.com/2837568/2021/09/22/his-name-is-sang-he-is-a-pitcher-a-familys-american-dream-their-unbearable-loss/

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AC Milan is one of the most successful clubs in European soccer history. The Italian giants won 7 European titles and changed the way soccer was played on the continent on more than one occasion. Over the past decade, the once indomitable team has fallen on hard times. Two failed ownership bids and poor financial management meant the club had to completely revamp the way it did business. Fortunately, those new methods appear to be working. The Rossoneri made their much delayed return to the Champions League last week and are at the very top of Serie A. Today, we talk with The Athletic's James Horncastle about the fall -- and rise -- of one of Europe's greatest teams.

Read James Horncastle's story about AC Milan here: https://theathletic.com/2081869/2020/09/23/inside-ac-milan-waking-a-sleeping-giant/

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In a season where they have legit Super Bowl aspirations, the Los Angeles Rams are off to a 2-0 start, and their defense — led by superstars Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald — has been a huge part of that equation. But this season, the Rams’ high-powered D is also in the hands of a new coordinator — former NFL head coach Raheem Morris — and today, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue tells us how Morris is handling L.A.’s stars, and how his own larger-than-life personality is impacting this team on the field.

Read Jourdan Rodrigue’s story about Raheem Morris: https://theathletic.com/2774151/2021/09/06/it-cant-be-ego-driven-how-raheem-morris-hopes-to-take-over-the-rams-defense-make-an-impact-along-the-way/?source=theleadpodcast

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