The Lead

Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, passed away last week from a heart attack at the age of 60. It's possible that no athlete is more loved by his home country or more symbolic of its hopes and dreams than Maradona and Argentina -- and yet the diminutive playmaker also developed his fair share of critics. The Athletic’s Ed Malyon, who got his start as a football journalist in Argentina, joins us to discuss why Maradona is such a transcendent figure there, and why we will never see someone quite like him again.

More from Ed Malyon:

https://theathletic.com/author/ed-malyon/?source=theleadpodcast

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Week 12 of the NFL season had some strange twists and turns -- even before play began. The Athletic’s Arif Hasan joins us to break down a strange weekend of action, including how the Vikings kept their playoff hopes alive (after starting the season 1-5), what’s going on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' inconsistent offense, and how Bronco's rookie wide receiver and usual practice squad member Kendall Hinton did when he suited up for Denver at quarterback due to Covid concerns.

More from Arif Hasan:

https://theathletic.com/author/arif-hasan/?source=theleadpodcast

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Last week, Onyeka Okongwu’s NBA dream came true when the USC star was drafted #6 overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The Athletic’s Seth Davis interviewed Okongwu earlier this year and joined us to talk about how the young power forward went from relative unknown to college star, and how a family tragedy gave him renewed focus. (This episode originally aired June 30, 2020.)

Read Seth Davis's profile of Okongwu:

https://theathletic.com/1898877/2020/06/30/heralded-but-not-hyped-onyeka-okongwu-moves-to-the-top-of-his-nba-draft-class/?source=theleadpodcast

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This spring, Alex Charlton — a football coach at Division II Midwestern State in Texas — made a bold decision. He left behind his coaching job to work as a nurse in Manhattan — in a COVID section of the emergency room — at a time when the coronavirus pandemic in New York was particularly deadly. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini tells us Charlton’s story. (This episode originally aired on July 10, 2020)

Read Chris Vannini’s story about Alex Charlton: https://theathletic.com/1917145/2020/07/10/alex-charlton-midwestern-state-football-coach-nurse-covid-19-new-york/?source=theleadpodcast

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The men’s college basketball season tips off tonight, and the top ranked team, which opens on Thursday against Kansas, is the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil recently spent time with the team and head coach Mark Few (who has been at the helm for two decades), and she joins us to explain how the small school in Spokane, Washington grew into a perennial powerhouse, and why this Zags team is well positioned to win a national championship -- if the season makes it that far.

More from Dana O'Neil:

https://theathletic.com/author/dana-oneil/?source=theleadpodcast

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On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts narrowly defeated Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, and their defense came up big once again. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer to look at how the Colts have rebuilt around defensive stars including DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard, and the impact that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has had on the team dramatically transforming its identity.

Read Zak Keefer’s story about Matt Eberflus: https://theathletic.com/2204578/2020/11/18/matt-eberflus-bet-on-himself-then-became-one-of-the-nfls-best-coordinators/?source=theleadpodcast

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Jrue Holiday. Gordon Hayward. Montrezl Harrell. The NBA off-season is in full-swing and several players have already made big moves. The Athletic’s John Hollinger joins us to break down the biggest signings (some great, some questionable), the moves that could happen in the coming days, and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

More from John Hollinger:

https://theathletic.com/author/john-hollinger/?source=theleadpodcast

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The Indiana Hoosiers have been arguably the biggest surprise in college football this season, thanks in part to their high-energy head coach, Tom Allen, and emerging star quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz to look at just how good this Indiana team is, whether they have a chance against No. 3 Ohio State this weekend, and why Penix mania has taken over Bloomington. 

Read Bob Kravitz’s story about Michael Penix Jr.: https://theathletic.com/2184340/2020/11/07/indiana-michigan-michael-penix-jr/?source=theleadpodcast

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Joe Burrow is just over halfway through his rookie season and, while his team has not been great, he has been. In addition to putting up big numbers and closing in on the rookie record for 300-yard games in a season, Burrow has also become the face of the franchise overnight and has stirred up more excitement among Bengals fans than anyone in recent memory. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. joins us to discuss what Burrow's coaches say makes him so special, why his teammates selected him as their captain as a rookie, and how he stacks up in his talented rookie class.

More from Paul Dehner Jr.:

https://theathletic.com/author/paul-dehner-jr/?source=theleadpodcast

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LaMelo Ball is projected by many to be the first overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, the culmination of a basketball journey that has taken him from California to Lithuania to Ohio to Australia. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Joe Vardon to discuss LaMelo’s growth and setbacks during his basketball odyssey, and why LaVar Ball’s youngest son remains such a polarizing player.  

Read Joe Vardon’s story about LaMelo Ball’s time in Ohio: https://theathletic.com/2195542/2020/11/17/lamelo-ball-nba-draft-2020-doing-lamelo-things-the-ball-familys-quiet-wild-year-in-ohio/?source=theleadpodcast

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