The Lead

On Monday, the Washington football team announced that it would be changing its team name and Native American logo, which many people find offensive. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Rhiannon Walker to talk about why the team and its owner, Dan Snyder, have resisted changing the name for so long and why they finally gave in to pressure now.

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https://theathletic.com/author/rhiannon-walker/?source=theleadpodcast

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First, the Ivy League announced that it would not have any sports this fall. Then, the Big Ten and Pac-12 said they would only be playing in-conference games, if any. And now, the entire college football season seems to be teetering on the brink. The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach joins us to talk about the seismic shift that has begun in college sports, including what’s happening on college campuses right now and what we can expect to happen next.

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

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The world's biggest soccer club has fallen on hard times. The league title seems to be slipping away, and ongoing mismanagement continues to create problems within the organization. The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan joins us to talk about what’s going wrong at Barcelona, what superstar Lionel Messi has had to say about it, and why the reticent superstar can sometimes make things difficult.

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https://theathletic.com/author/dermot-corrigan/?source=theleadpodcast

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This week, NBA teams started arriving at Disney World in Orlando as they prepare to restart the season. One team that has already arrived is the Utah Jazz, whose All-Star center Rudy Gobert was the first known NBA player to test positive for the coronavirus — and became embroiled in controversy when he intentionally touched reporters’ microphones and recorders. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Tony Jones to look at how that incident has affected Gobert’s life, where his relationship stands with teammate Donovan Mitchell, and whether the Jazz are ready to move forward.

Read Tony Jones’s story about the Rudy Gobert saga: https://theathletic.com/1911227/2020/07/06/i-plan-on-winning-a-championship-in-utah-rudy-gobert-is-ready-to-move-forward/?source=theleadpodcast

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Eight years ago, we saw one of the most dramatic free agent decisions in the history of the NFL, when Peyton Manning joined the Denver Broncos. The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala recently spoke to Manning about his wild fortnight of free agency, and discovered some fascinating details about the next-level secrecy from the people (including John Elway and Jim Harbaugh) and the teams that were pursuing him. 

Read the oral history of Peyton Manning’s free agency: https://theathletic.com/1874061/2020/06/23/copters-hoodies-and-pbj-oral-history-of-peyton-mannings-free-agency-journey/?source=theleadpodcast

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After an outstanding freshman season at USC, hoops star Onyeku Okongwu is projected to go very early in this year’s NBA draft, which is now scheduled for October. The Athletic’s Seth Davis joins us to talk about how the young power forward went from relative obscurity to college star, how high he could go in the NBA draft, and the family tragedy that gave Okongwu renewed focus and still inspires him today.

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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A number of All-Star-caliber MLB players have decided not to take part in the 2020 season, including David Price, Felix Hernandez, Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond. Meanwhile, Mike Trout and Buster Posey are among the star players who are on the fence. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli to look at why some of these players have chosen to sit out, and whether many more will follow.

Follow Britt Ghiroli’s coverage of the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/brittany-ghiroli/?source=theleadpodcast

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The NWSL became the first professional U.S. sports league to resume play this week, kicking off the Challenge Cup, a month-long knockout tournament, in Utah. The Athletic’s Meg Linehan joins us to discuss what happened in the opening matches, a much-talked-about moment during the national anthem, and whether or not anyone can stop the North Carolina Courage.

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https://theathletic.com/author/meg-linehan/?source=theleadpodcast

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As coronavirus cases skyrocket in Florida, Tom Brady has been defying league health recommendations and working out with his Tampa Bay Buccaneer teammates at a local high school -- and posting about it on social media. The Athletic’s Greg Auman joins us to talk about Brady’s controversial training sessions and why they have become a lightning rod in a national debate over COVID-19.

Read Greg Auman's story about the Brady workouts:

https://theathletic.com/1893828/2020/06/25/as-workouts-with-bucs-continue-is-tom-brady-being-fearless-or-foolish/?source=theleadpodcast

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There was some historic news out of Mississippi yesterday, as governor Tate Reeves signed a bill removing the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s David Ubben to discuss the role that college sports played in the change, from SEC head coaches Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach to Mississippi State's star running back Kylin Hill. 

Read David Ubben’s column about Kylin Hill and the Mississippi flag: https://theathletic.com/1897593/2020/06/28/kylin-hill-mississippi-state-flag-kansas-state-football-player-protest/?source=theleadpodcast

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