The Lead

A new Netflix documentary, released today, explores the life of American tennis star Mardy Fish, who famously withdrew from a U.S. Open match against Roger Federer back in 2012. In the years since that fateful day, Fish has opened up about his struggles with severe anxiety, and has become an outspoke advocate for change. Mardy joins us today to talk about the film, his life, and how things have and haven't changed in our country's perceptions of athletes and mental health, particularly in the wake of incidents involving Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles.

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The Athletic's Katie Strang recently broke the news that the Arizona Coyotes are essentially getting kicked out of their home arena in Glendale, AZ, citing multiple notices about outstanding and delinquent balances owed by the Coyotes. So, to explain how things have gotten so bad, we're replaying an episode that first aired back in February, when Katie joined us to explain some of the problems she had discovered within the Coyotes organization under new owner Alex Meruelo -- many of which relate to the current problems at the arena.

Read Katie's recent report about Gila River Arena: https://theathletic.com/2778340/2021/08/19/point-of-no-return-glendale-to-boot-coyotes-from-gila-river-arena-after-2021-22-season/

Read Katie's original story about the Coyotes under owner Alex Meruelo: https://theathletic.com/2390146/2021/02/16/arizona-coyotes-investigation-toxic/

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On Sunday afternoon, two high school football teams took the field in what looked like an ordinary game, broadcast live on ESPN. And then things got weird. In the days that followed, the Internet became obsessed with one of the teams, Bishop Sycamore, and its elusive head coach, Roy Johnson. Now, amidst a public outcry and a firestorm of questions, the governor of Ohio has called for an investigation into the school and its football program. Today, The Athletic's Andy Staples takes us down the rabbit hole of a school that was not what it seemed.

Read Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman's full story about Bishop Sycamore:

https://theathletic.com/2798560/2021/08/30/how-the-washington-generals-of-high-school-football-conned-espn/

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One of the NFL's most compelling off-season storylines was the growing quarterback competition up in New England. The New England Patriots drafted Mac Jones to be the quarterback of the future, but it quickly became apparent that Jones might usurp incumbent starter Cam Newton — and that's exactly what happened. Head Coach Bill Belichick and his staff made the bold move to release Newton on Tuesday, and now the team rests in Jones's young hands. Today, The Athletic's Patriots beat reporter, Jeff Howe, tells us how Jones ended up beating out Newton for the starting spot, why the Pats decided to let the former-MVP walk, and what might come next for the 10 year NFL veteran.

Read all of Jeff Howe's Patriots coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/jeff-howe/

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It is the all-important month of September in Major League Baseball, with top contenders (including the Yankees and the Dodgers) aiming to peak at exactly the right time, and superstars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani hoping to make their MVP push. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Posnanski breaks down the biggest storylines to watch during the final month of the season, including the Giants-Dodgers race in the NL West, the favorites to win the Cy Young, and the Mets’ attempt to turn a thumbs-down August into a thumbs-up September. 

Follow Joe Posnanski’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/joe-posnanski/?source=theleadpodcast

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Back in 2015, Logan Thomas was a quarterback on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, living out of a room ($68 a night) at a La Quinta Inn, with his wife, three kids and Great Dane — for 150 days. Five years later, in 2020, he emerged as a difference-making tight end for the Washington Football Team, and received a new $24 million contract this offseason. Today, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei tells the story of Thomas’s remarkable rise from struggling quarterback to standout tight end in the NFL.

Read Dan Pompei’s full story about Logan Thomas: https://theathletic.com/2777153/2021/08/19/logan-thomas-remarkable-script-continues-to-be-written-with-the-washington-football-team/?source=theleadpodcast

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With the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan, many groups have been fearful of retribution, including the Afghan Women's National Soccer Team, which has long been a symbol of defiance to the ultra-conservative Islamic group. Last week, against all odds (and amidst the chaos at the Kabul airport), the players and their family members managed to make it out of the country alive. Today, we have the inside story of their incredible escape, which included secret communications, beatings by the Taliban, and wading through a canal filled with sewage water -- and how teamwork ultimately helped them survive.

Here are links to some of the organizations working to help the team:

Girl Power - https://www.girlpowerorg.com/

Human Right For All - https://www.hr4a.com.au/

Centre For Sport And Human Rights - https://www.sporthumanrights.org/

FIFPRO - https://www.fifpro.org/en

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The start of the NFL season is now just two weeks away. And while teams have been hard at work in training camps, The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones has also been hard at work -- traveling to those camps. Lindsay joins us today to share her observations from recent trips to Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and Denver, where she had a front row seat for everything from Urban Meyer's unconventional practices to Tom Brady's seemingly ageless arm.

More from Lindsay Jones:

https://theathletic.com/author/lindsay-jones/

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Heading into this MLB season — the 15th of his career — it looked like Joey Votto might be on the decline. But this summer, the charismatic Cincinnati Reds first baseman has found another gear. The Athletic’s Trent Rosecrans collected stories about Votto’s larger-than-life personality, and today, he joins us to look at how the veteran’s sometimes strange behavior (including non-stop mopping) helps power his still-elite production. 

Read the full story about Joey Votto from Trent Rosecrans, Rustin Dodd and Jayson Jenks: https://theathletic.com/2479327/2021/04/13/joey-votto-is-playing-chess-and-the-rest-of-us-are-playing-checkers-reds-first-baseman-may-be-the-most-interesting-man-in-baseball/?source=theleadpodcast

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Manchester City dropped their opening game to Tottenham, but still look like title favorites. New signing Romelu Lukaku shined in his debut for Chelsea over the weekend, and the Blues are off to a perfect 2-0 start. Paul Pogba is off to a record-setting campaign for Manchester United, and the Red Devils also look poised to challenge for the title. Arsenal? Not so much. So, who will be sitting atop the standings when the season wraps up ? The Athletic's Ed Malyon joins us make his picks, and to break down what we've seen in the Premier League season so far.

More from Ed Malyon:

https://theathletic.com/author/ed-malyon/

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