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Continental Championships and the USMNT Looks For a New Coach Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

Players scrapping with fans in the stands, continental championships up for grabs on both sides of “the pond,” and US Men's Soccer is once again searching for a new manager.

There’s a ton going on in the international soccer world, so today Luis Miguel Echegaray helps us break it all down, and lets us know who he thinks will capture the crown in Europe and the Americas.

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Why the Championship Celtics Are For Sale Jul 11, 2024

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After 22 years, Wyc Grousbeck and his family announced they’ll be selling their controlling stake in the Boston Celtics.

The announcement marks a seismic moment not just for the Celtics, but for the NBA.

Our own Tim Bontemps is here to talk about how the sale of one of the most iconic franchises in the world connects to greater trends in sports team ownership worldwide, and to explain who or what entity could be Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown’s new boss.

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How EA Sports Brought Back College Football Jul 10, 2024

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Gamers of a certain age have fond memories of building dynasties with their favorite schools in the NCAA College Football video game series. But - because of a lawsuit filed by former UCLA Bruin Ed O’Bannon over name, image, and likeness violations - it’s been more than a decade since EA Sports released the game.

That wait is almost over, as the game returns next week.

Today, ESPN staff writer, Michael Rothstein, who broke the news of the game’s return in 2021, and has been covering the journey ever since, explains why college sports video games were shelved, and tells us just how EA Sports worked to return gamers’ holy grail.

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Why Klay Thompson’s Exit Spells the End of the Warriors’ Dynasty Jul 09, 2024

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After 13 seasons as a splash brother with the Warriors, Klay Thompson is trading in the boats in the Bay for cowboy boots in Dallas, Texas.

And it feels like the end of the most recent dynasty in the NBA.

But how exactly did it all come to an end?

Today, ESPN senior NBA writer Ramona Shelburne explains what forced Klay’s hand, and details how he ended up choosing to moor his boat to the Mavericks.

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How the NBA’s Contenders Look to Be Not Like The Rest Jul 08, 2024

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The NBA has been busy since the Celtics locked down their 18th championship.

In Los Angeles, JJ Redick has traded in his microphone for a clipboard, becoming the new coach of the Lakers. And one of the first moves on his watch? Drafting Bronny James, fulfilling a father and son moment that the world has been waiting on.

Meanwhile, Paul George says goodbye to the Clippers and heads over to Philly, while DeMar DeRozan pulled back up to the west coast, heading from Chicago to Sacramento.

So today we talk with ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps about which teams look like chevy hitters. And explore which moves could lead to the beginning of the next NBA dynasty.

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Is the Godfather of Competitive Eating Ready to Reclaim his Title? Jul 03, 2024

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Last month, we learned that the rivalry between legendary competitive eaters, Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi and America’s Joey Chestnut, would be renewed this Labor Day. It will be their first head-to-head, hot-dog-eating-showdown in 14 years.

A dispute with the organizers of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating contest, a July 4th tradition, had forced Kobayashi out of the competition in 2010. A similar dispute this year for Chestnut set the stage for a long awaited rematch between two men who had accounted for 22 of the last 23 Nathan’s Famous titles.

So today, we bring you an interview with Takeru Kobayashi himself, exploring what drove him to rethink and revolutionize the sport of eating in the early 2000s, why his rivalry with Chestnut wasn’t as fun as it looked, the false reports of his retirement, and what we should expect to see when these two finally meet again on Labor Day.

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Jeff Passan takes the temperature of MLB Jul 02, 2024

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Now that we are heading to the midpoint of the 2024 MLB season, it’s time to take the temperature of the league.

Can the surprising Cleveland Guardians stay hot and catch pennant fever? Will the Orioles’s arms stay healthy enough to take down the Yankees? Are the Phillies and Dodgers simply inevitable in the National League? Or will Grimace continue to hold court in Queens and somehow bring the Mets to the table?

To get the answers to all this and more we once again turn to our friend ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan as he breaks down what stood out to him over the first few months and tells us how things might shape up down the stretch.

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Luis Miguel Echegaray Breaks Down Global Soccer Madness Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

There are two absolutely gigantic continental soccer tournaments happening side by side across the globe. In the western hemisphere Copa America features the United States, the Caribbean, and the best of South America on the pitch. Giving Uruguay a spotlight to shine.

While across the pond the UEFA European Championship, better known as the Euros, are giving us all of the traditional national rivalries we’re used to seeing.

Of course, it wouldn’t be soccer on a global stage, if the USMNT didn’t have some sort of controversy going on, and following their upsetting loss to Panama last week, the questions about Gregg Berhalter’s fitness to lead the team are starting to swirl.

So today, Luis Miguel Echegaray is here to: Get us set for tonight’s U.S. vs Uruguay matchup, breakdown everything he’s been seeing in both tournaments, and to let us know who he likes to take home championships on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Will Connor McGregor Ever Return to the Octagon? Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

It’s a big week for the UFC. Out in Vegas, the premier combat sports company is celebrating International Fight Week, and on Thursday night, inducted its latest class to the Hall of Fame. Saturday night, the festivities culminate in UFC 303.

But the sport’s biggest star, Conor McGregor, won’t be there, after pulling out of the main event due to injury, and forcing UFC to scramble and find other fighters to carry the card.

So today, our Andreas Hale explains why McGregor’s three year absence has proven detrimental for him on all fronts, and why another delayed return has everyone wondering if Mr. Notorious will ever step into the Octagon again.

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Is Sha'Carri Richardson Finally Ready for Her Olympic Moment? Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

Three years ago, a positive marijuana test forced Sha’Carri Richardson off of team USA, robbing her and her country of a chance at an all-time Olympic moment. But in the years since, with a style reminiscent of the great Florence Griffith Joyner, Richardson has more than made her mark on the sport.

So with 100-meter qualifications complete and the 200-meter on the horizon this weekend, our Coley Harvey explains how Richardson bounced back and why the Summer Games could make her one of the biggest stars on the planet.

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