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How Did "Lowly" Indiana Make the College Football Playoff?! Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

It's hard to believe that Indiana, which has lost more college football games than any other FBS program, has earned a spot in the inaugural twelve team college football playoff. And no matter what happens in their instate showdown with Notre Dame Friday night, it's already been a dream season for head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers. A decade ago, Cignetti made a risky bet on himself, moving from a title-winning assistant role under Nick Saban at Alabama to head coach at little-known IU-Pennsylvania. But now his confident style has completely changed the culture in Bloomington.

Today, Adam Rittenberg joins Harry Lyles Jr. to introduce us to the man himself and explain how Cignetti’s already thinking far past this season, with a vision to make Indiana a powerhouse for years to come.

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Just What Has Bill Belichick Gotten Himself Into at UNC? Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

It started out as a rumor — one that most people thought was a joke — but now it’s all very, very real: Bill Belichick is the new head coach of the University of North Carolina football team.

Just what would make someone with eight Super Bowl rings decide that an ACC afterthought should be the next stop in his career? And while many people could argue that the transfer portal and NIL deals are making the college game look more like the NFL every year, there is still one more important question: Can someone with a notoriously frigid demeanor handle the glad-handing and booster-hugging world of NCAA football?

Ryan McGee joins host David Dennis, Jr. to answer all those questions and to spell out just what a Belchick Era in Chapel Hill might look like and also to remind everyone that there’s nowhere to go but up for a team that hasn’t really mattered for over a century.

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NFL Week 15 Recap with Ben Solak Dec 16, 2024

Show notes

After 15 weeks of NFL football, the playoff picture is becoming more clear. But almost as important as who is going to get in, is how they are going to get there. We saw both the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks finish their games with questions about the health of their signal callers.

While in Detroit, the Lions, already seriously injured on defense, suffered through more pain in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

But that’s what happens at this time of year. Nobody is playing healthy. Except for Ben Solak and ESPN sports analytics writer Seth Walder. Ben switches into the hosts chair, while Seth subs in as guest. The pair make sure you understand how the action unfolded on Sunday, and why it went down the way that it did.

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Why the Manchester Derby is English Football History Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Few rivalries are as bitter as the ones that exist between two teams in one city.

Ask New York Mets fans and New York Yankees fans, where the hatred can divide households. Or Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox fans whose team alliances mix with the pride in their neighborhoods. While out west, Los Angeles Lakers fans play the big brother, to their neglected stepsiblings, Los Angeles Clippers fans.

Well across the pond on Sunday, in the United Kingdom, Manchester will be the site of one of those rivalries as Manchester United and Manchester City will meet in the Manchester Derby for the 195th time.

Today Luis Miguel Echegaray, himself a former resident of the U.K., describes how these two clubs have defined the city for decades, and explores the modern challenges each of them are facing on and off the pitch, before explaining to Michele Steele how Liverpool is perched atop the Premier League standings, happy with whatever outcome emerges.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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Before Becoming NBA Prospects, the Boozer Twins Saved Their Brother’s Life Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

In 2008, Lisa Salters reported an E60 documentary called Blood Brothers about the family of former NBA star Carlos Boozer and their quest to save their son, Carmani, from sickle cell disease.

But it turns out that journey was just the tip of the iceberg, because in April of this year — 16 years later — Blood Brothers was back on for a very different reason.

ESPN NBA Draft Analyst Jonathan Givony joins host David Dennis, Jr. to take us through Lisa and E60’s reporting from 2008 and April of this year, and explain how a story of medical triumph ultimately landed in his own jurisdiction as the Boozer’s younger sons, twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, became top NBA draft prospects.

You can stream the E60 Documentary Blood Brothers on ESPN+.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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The Past, Present and Future of the College Football Bowl Season Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

The field for the College Football Playoff is set and with a new expanded 12-team format, this looks to be the most exciting path to the title that we have ever seen.

And as we are quickly reminded, no matter how big the playoff bracket gets, someone is always going to be left out, and that someone is always going to have something to say about it.

But what about those other 36 bowls? The ones that have nothing to do with winning a national title? Are they nothing more than a big show of pomp, circumstance and giant Pop Tarts?

David Hale joins David Dennis Jr. to tell us what we can expect to see this bowl season, and beyond, as college football, in its second century of tradition, is evolving faster than it ever has.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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Will the NBA Cup Reveal True Contenders? Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

The Emirates NBA Cup is now in year two and we're all still trying to feel out what place it will take in the league’s attention economy. But one thing is clear –– nearly everyone is thrilled to have some bigger stakes on the table this early in the NBA season. Are the Oklahoma City Thunder ready to avenge their playoff elimination against the Dallas Mavericks? Can the New York Knicks prove their new offense-first approach to be a winning formula? Are Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors ready to contend for another title?

With the cup quarterfinals happening Tuesday and Wednesday, Tim Bontemps joins David Dennis Jr. to preview what to watch for and why this week will give us our biggest indication yet as to which contenders are for real.

Tue, Dec. 10

Magic vs. Bucks | 7 p.m. ET (TNT)

Mavericks vs. Thunder | 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Wed, Dec. 11

Hawks vs. Knicks | 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Warriors vs. Rockets | 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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NFL Week 14 Recap with Ben Solak Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

14 weeks into the 2024 NFL season, and the playoff picture is starting to come into focus. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles are in. And both the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers are sure to punch their tickets to the postseason soon.

In the NFC, the competition for the rest of the landscape is fierce, while in the AFC, all but one of the teams currently slated for the playoffs has more than a 90% chance of making it in.

So today, Michele Steele and Ben Solak break down how the teams that are in got there, and what everyone else needs to do in order to have a shot.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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Why the Drama of Formula 1 Continues to Lap the Competition Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

The 2024 Formula 1 season wraps up this weekend in Abu Dhabi and in many ways nothing is different, but at the same time, everything has changed.

First off, you have Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver wrapped up his fourth straight title a couple weeks ago. But his team, Red Bull, has somehow fallen off the map.

And now legendary names like McClaren and Ferrari – who haven’t won a team title in decades – have once again raced their way to the top of the standings.

Now, just add a mix of reality TV magic and a little bit of Brad Pitt, and you have yourself the modern Formula 1 package.

So today, Laurence Edmondson joins David Dennis Jr. to explain all the drama from the garage to the track and tells us why the resurgence of F1 is just getting started.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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Jeff Passan Explains Why Juan Soto Will Be MLB’s First Hot Stove Dish Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

In recent years MLB’s Hot Stove has been kind of lukewarm. Even with big ticket free agents on the market, the pursuit of free agents dragged well into the New Year each winter.

But ESPN’s Jeff Passan tells today’s host, David Dennis Jr., that won’t be the case with Juan Soto this offseason.

The transcendent lefty slugger has virtually every big market owner chasing after him with a blank checkbook, looking to change the fortunes of their team with one big transaction.

And with Soto looking to find his new home by the end of next week’s winter meeting, and Scott Boras leading negotiations for him - and a bevy of other big name free agents - the dominos should start to fall soon.

You can honor Jim Valvano and support ESPN’s V Week with a donation to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

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