Episodes
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The story told of World War II and America is one of triumph over the Axis powers of Germany and Japan; a time when our entire nation stood together as one.
It has served as both an anchor and a beacon of virtue in our nation’s history.
But often forgotten from this time is the Executive Order signed by President Roosevelt that called for forcible removal of all Japanese Americans from the West Coast to inland internment camps.
This order ripped apart families, their homes and their livelihoods. But as these immigrants and citizens were forced to make a new life, one thing that kept their communities together was the competition and pageantry of baseball.
So today, we visit with Dan Kwong, a descendant of those held at the Manzanar internment camp, to hear about how in the coming days, his decades-long quest to bring America’s pastime back to a dark place in American history will finally reach a resolution.
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There’s one thing for certain, the San Antonio Spurs sure can pick ‘em.
From David Robinson to Tim Duncan and now Victor Wembanyama, whenever the Spurs have the No. 1 pick in the draft, they always seem to get their hands on a generational talent. And no one knows that more than lifelong Spurs superfan Shea Serrano, who has lived and breathed all of it.
Today Serrano joins us to break down the vibe in San Antonio, gauge how close they are to a championship, and game out how long Gregg Popovich, the architect of it all, will stick around.
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Episodes manquant?
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The NBA season starts tonight, and much has happened since the end of the NBA Finals. The Eastern Conference has loaded up on top, with the Knicks and the 76ers making big moves over the summer to compete with the reigning champion Celtics. Over in the Western Conference there is as competitive a race to the playoffs as ever, where almost every team has a chance to make it to the postseason.
Today Tim Bontemps joins the show to survey which off-season moves are most likely to pay off, why the stakes for the champs in Boston are bigger than you think, and why generational change is coming across the league.
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Week 7 in the NFL featured several of the biggest regular season battles that we’ve seen this season. While a Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and 49ers sort of fizzled out. Games between the Packers and Texans, and Lions and Vikings came down to the wire.
And that’s before we even look at the newest toy in Aaron Rodgers toybox.
So today, Ben Solak helps us understand all the highlights and stand out moments from Sunday.
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It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Black men were really allowed to play quarterback in professional football. And it took another 20 years or so for Black stars to emerge at the position.
The lineage of runs from James “Shack” Harrris, the first black player to start a season at quarterback in the history of pro football, to Doug Williams, the first black player to start and win a Super Bowl, to Michael Vick, the first black quarterback to go first in the draft, to Warren Moon, the first black quarterback enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
But in the past few years, we’ve gone from the presence of a black man under center being remarkable, to being, well, unremarkable.
Andscape’s Senior NFL writer Jason Reid literally wrote the book on this, Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it Means for America, and he’s on the show to discuss how we got to this era, and also look at the future of the next man up. Jayden Daniels.
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Though the play has been a bit ugly at times, the New York Yankees are sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS. Meanwhile, the New York Mets are looking to keep their improbable run alive as they face a crucial Game 4 against the prohibitive favorite L.A. Dodgers. No doubt October baseball takes on a different flavor when both New York teams make deep runs.
So today, as these two series swing to new venues, Jeff Passan gives us his insider’s view on the League Championships, including why the Mets and Dodgers have more in common than you may think, and why Yankees v. Guardians is starting to look like varsity versus JV.
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The New York Liberty were one of the original franchises when the WNBA debuted in 1997.
And despite the chaos of getting a professional sports team off the ground in six months, they were able to hit the ground running, making multiple appearances in the Finals.
That magic run screeched to a halt as quickly as it started and the Liberty suddenly found themselves exiled out of New York City and playing in a 90-year-old arena in front of a handful of fans
So today, Michael Voepel tells the story of how the Liberty were reborn in Brooklyn and are now a superteam in search of that elusive first WNBA Championship.
Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx airs tonight at 8pm Eastern on ESPN.
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On Sunday, Jerry West became the first person inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and contributor. West, who passed away in June of this year, left behind a legacy as a player, coach, executive, and is known for literally being the logo of the NBA.
But he was also known for his obsessive pursuit of greatness, one that often left him incapable of enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Today, ESPN senior writer Baxter Holmes details the impact that the feud between West and the Los Angeles Lakers left on the basketball great’s life.
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One season, one achilles injury, and a meager two wins in 2024 is all the Robert Saleh - Aaron Rodgers pairing has to show for itself with the Jets. Saleh is out as head coach of Gang Green after a rough start to the season. But for Saleh, his team, and pundits everywhere, it came as a surprise. Especially considering that with a win tonight, the Jets would be in first place in the AFC East.
So today, ESPN NFL Nation reporter Rich Cimini, who’s covered the Jets since the first Bush administration, explains: how it all went down, what, if anything Rodgers had to do with Saleh’s dismissal, and wonders if there’s time left, to save the Jets season.
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On the eve of yet another chapter of the iconic Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, Barry Switzer – at the age of 87 – stands alone as the link from college football’s colorful past to its explosive present.
And his story is a true American tale. From growing up as the son of a bootlegger to winning national titles at Oklahoma to running a sought-after Airbnb on game days, Coach Switzer has always pledged to take care of everyone in his world.
But what happens when that world isn’t complete? What happens when a phone call from his past changes everything?
Today, Dave Wilson answers all those questions and delivers an incredible story of how the King of Oklahoma discovered roots he didn’t know he ever had.
The Red River Rivalry – No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma – comes to you live from the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, October 12th, at 3: 30 EST on ABC and ESPN+.
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With NBA media days behind us and preseason games under way, we are officially counting down the days until the start of the NBA season on October 22. And though the defending champion Boston Celtics are looking to run it back with more or less the same roster, there are plenty of new faces in new places for us to get used to.
Today, Brian Windhorst tells us why Bronny James’ arrival might actually be exactly what LeBron and the Lakers need, why the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the most unique favorites we’ve ever seen, and why Paul George doesn’t solve the Sixers biggest problem.
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Postseason baseball is theater in the greatest sense. Taking the scale of sport’s longest season and distilling it down to a short series just ratchets up the intensity like nowhere else.
And this year, the bad blood between the teams in all four of the divisional series creates a soap opera like none other.
So today, MLB Insider, Jeff Passan, looks ahead at tonight's ALDS action and checks in on the vibes in the NLDS. And explains how hatred is okay, as long as you mind the line between tension and toxicity.
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In June, we saw the NHL season culminate in an epic Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid, the biggest star in the game, nearly led his Oilers back from a three, nothing deficit. But in the end, the Florida Panthers, once the laughing stock of the league, took the title in a decisive game seven.
So today, with a new season getting underway, Greg Wyshynski is here to help us get used to the idea of a prestige franchise in South Florida, explain what the Oilers did in the offseason to take some pressure off their team, and take stock of one of hockey's greatest records and when it may finally fall.
For more on the Panthers’ “rat trick” tradition, check out our episode from 2022.
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Week 5 was a wild one. No lead was safe, and more than a couple of games came down to last second heroics. We even saw things that we don’t normally see, like a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown sealing the deal in Seattle.
Today Ben Solak helps us digest everything we saw on the gridiron on Sunday.
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A’ja Wilson just finished what is arguably one of the best WNBA seasons of all time. From being the second ever unanimous MVP, to being the first player to have a 1000-point season; to winning an Olympic gold medal and the MVP of that tournament, this doesn't begin to cover all she's accomplished in 2024.
Throughout all of this, Wilson’s family and faith has been a guiding light for her and she is constantly driven to ensure she sits atop of the Mount Rushmore of greats the WNBA has ever seen.
While her legacy is being cemented, on and off the court, Wilson faces a new challenge as her two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces find themselves down 0-2 to the New York Liberty in the semifinals. With the third game Friday night in Vegas, the quest to three-peat faces its biggest test yet.
So today, we chat with Andscape’s women's basketball reporter Sean Hurd who shares conversations he’s had with A’ja this year, her remarkable season and breaks down this huge matchup between the Aces and Liberty.
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Ever since Dikembe Mutombo first stepped on to the court for the Georgetown Hoyas in 1988, his presence was impossible to ignore.
The 7’2” center who hails from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, was a shot-blocking machine with a smile, a voice and signature gesture that would make him a star across the world.
And beyond his tall stature was a man with one of the biggest hearts on earth, who’s generosity and kind spirit will never be forgotten.
So today, Marc Spears joins us to discuss the life and legacy of the man they called Deke, basketball Hall of Famer, and the NBA’s first ever global ambassador.
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The soul of the Champions League isn’t the players or the teams, but the fans.
And every one of them has a story on how their squad earned their undying loyalty.
ESPN’s very own Luis Miguel Echegaray is no different. His tale is of a stirring, intercontinental journey into the ranks of Birmingham’s Aston Villa that continues to be written.
So today, as he makes his way to their big Champions League showdown against Bayern Munich, LME explains why he bleeds the Villains claret and blue and explains how a revamped format has this entire league more than ready to deliver.
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Last Thursday, the Athletics played their final game ever in Oakland, the city they’ve called home for 57 years. As friend of the show Jeff Passan wrote, baseball in the East Bay was “killed by greed… John Fisher did not have to move this team… This was a choice. A wrong one. History will sneer.”
For the conclusion of our Death of a Sports Town series, we trekked to the Oakland Coliseum and bore witness to the sights, sounds, and emotions of a city’s last gasp as a big time pro sports town.
It was a poignant and passionate display from a vibrant and rich fanbase, defiant to the very end. Today, we share that experience with you.
Death of a Sports Town Episodes:
Apple Podcasts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4
Spotify: All episodes
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Four weeks of the NFL season are just about in the bag, and some things are just starting to come into focus. For example, how even at 3-1, the new look Buffalo Bills are facing an uphill climb against the true contenders in the AFC and how the Minnesota Vikings — who NOBODY saw coming — could shake up the NFC all season.
So today, Ben Solak takes us through everything you need to know about the league one month in.
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The college football landscape, once the bedrock of tradition in sports, now seems to shock us every few months with more changes and teams on the move.
And with the transfer portal, NIL and this year’s expanded college football playoff, just about anything and anyone is up for grabs.
Which brings to our latest storm on the college football radar: The Pac-12.
Left for dead only a year ago, this once-mighty brand is looking to make a comeback by reclaiming their Power 5 status one school at a time.
Today Kyle Bonagura joins us to try and tame this Wild West story and bring some order to all this conference chaos.
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