The Lead

Orlando City SC faces the Portland Timbers in tonight's MLS Is Back Final. And Orlando has made it deep into the tournament largely thanks to former Manchester United star Nani, who signed with the Florida team last year. Today, the Athletic’s Sam Stejskal joins us to discuss the Portuguese winger's remarkable career, his recent MLS heroics, and what his time in the U.S. has revealed about the man who was once tapped to be Cristiano Ronaldo's successor.

More from Sam Stejskal:

https://theathletic.co.uk/author/sam-stejskal/?source=theleadpodcast

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Just over two weeks into the 2020 season, Major League Baseball has seen an alarming number of injuries to pitchers, including Justin Verlander, Mike Soroka and Shohei Ohtani, who was back on the mound for the first time in nearly two years after Tommy John surgery. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris to look more closely at the cases of Verlander, Ohtani and Eduardo Rodriguez, and discuss whether this whole wave of injuries could actually get worse. 

Read Eno Sarris’s story about the pitching injuries across Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/1961073/2020/07/29/baseballs-predicted-injury-rash-is-here-now-what/?source=theleadpodcast

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Thursday was the deadline for NFL players to opt out of the 2020 season, and a number of prominent names — including Dont’a Hightower of the Patriots and Damien Williams of the Chiefs — have decided not to play. The first player to opt out of the season was Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an offensive lineman for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The Athletic’s Nate Taylor joins us to discuss Duvernay-Tardif’s remarkable double life as a doctor and football player, and why he won’t be taking the field for Kansas City in 2020. 

Read Nate Taylor’s story about Laurent Duvernay-Tardif: https://theathletic.com/1891840/2020/06/24/after-treating-patients-laurent-duvernay-tardif-shares-his-unique-perspective/?source=theleadpodcast 

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With less than a month until the start of the college football season, more and more players are demanding better protections against COVID-19, scholarship guarantees, and, in some cases, money. The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach joins us to talk about how these unprecedented demands have come about, what impact they could have on the fall season, and why players are speaking up now.

More from Nicole Auerbach:

https://theathletic.com/author/nicole-auerbach/?source=theleadpodcast

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The Portland Trail Blazers are battling toward a playoff berth, and they’ve been doing it with a big boost from big man Jusuf Nurkic. After being out for more than a year with a gruesome leg injury, Nurkic is back and has been better than ever. The Athletic’s Jason Quick joins us to discuss Nurkic's remarkable return, how far he could help carry the dangerous Blazers, and how his teammates are helping the Bosnian star deal with a difficult family health situation.

Read Jason Quick's story about Jusuf Nurkic:

https://theathletic.com/1966830/2020/07/31/a-special-person-and-player-trail-blazers-rally-around-a-worried-jusuf-nurkic/?source=theleadpodcast

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Last week, when his team was up against the Astros, Dodgers right-hander Joe Kelly had a very noisy relief appearance, brushing back Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa before both benches cleared. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Andy McCullough to look at how this incident fits into the ongoing backlash against the Astros in the aftermath of their sign-stealing scandal, and what it might take for the anger against them to subside.

Follow Andy McCullough’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/andy-mccullough/?source=theleadpodcast

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After more than four months away from competition, the NHL is back -- and the league has gone straight to the playoffs. The Athletic’s Michael Russo joins us to talk about some surprise results on opening weekend, a much-discussed moment during the national anthem, and what the key to success will be in this year’s strange playoff format.

More from Michael Russo:

https://theathletic.com/author/michael-russo/?source=theleadpodcast

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At the peak of his career, Daniel Bard was a dominant relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Then, he suddenly and mysteriously lost the ability to throw strikes. Now, seven years and a remarkable journey later, he's back in the big leagues and throwing heat for the Colorado Rockies. The Athletic’s Nick Groke tells us Bard’s remarkable comeback story, including his unusual path to overcoming the yips.

Read Nick Groke's story about Daniel Bard's incredible comeback:

https://theathletic.com/1625689/2020/02/22/daniel-bard-found-grace-through-goodwill-from-red-sox-heat-to-a-rockies-revival/?source=theleadpodcast

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More than four and a half months after the season shut down, the NBA is finally back. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Wosny Lambre to look at some of the big story lines as the season resumes at Disney World, including Zion Williamson and the Pelicans fighting for a playoff berth, and LeBron James and the Lakers gearing up for a potential title run. We also discuss what to expect from Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and the defending champion Raptors, favorite moments from inside the Disney bubble, and whether the NBA’s Orlando experiment will ultimately succeed.

Follow Wosny Lambre’s coverage of the NBA: https://theathletic.com/author/wosny-lambre/?source=theleadpodcast

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There’s a lot happening in the WNBA right now, both on and off the court. The Athletic's Chantel Jennings joins us to talk about the league’s relationship with the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as pushback it has received recently from a U.S. Senator and partial team owner. We also break down what's been happening on the court in the first few games of the season, including with rookie sensation Sabrina Ionescu, who made her WNBA debut last weekend.

More from Chantel Jennings:

https://theathletic.com/author/chantel-jennings/?source=theleadpodcast

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