ESPN Daily

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Longsnappers: The NFL’s Unsung Special Teams Artists Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

The NFL longsnapper lives and dies in football’s “game of inches.” These unsung heroes have to aim the ball and get it to the kicker when the game is on the line. But what goes into the art and science of longsnapping? Dave Fleming brings us onto the field and shows us what the world looks like from a longsnapper’s point of view, and shares how these niche players do their high-precision, high-pressure jobs upside down where perfection is the only acceptable standard.

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Blood in the Garden: How the 90s Knicks Gave Rise to the Modern NBA Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Despite decades of mediocrity, the New York Knicks inspire an almost religious devotion from their rabid fanbase. The Nets may play across town with three of the biggest stars in NBA history, but New York still bleeds blue and orange. That was never more evident than in the 1990s, when you could watch the Knicks fight on the court…figuratively and literally…at Madison Square Garden. Under the direction of head coach Pat Riley, and led by players like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, the Knicks pioneered a style of basketball that was physical, intimidating, and rarely beautiful. Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks, explains how a team known for its tough guy image paved the way for the modern NBA.

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The Last Save: Inside the Blue Jackets Goaltenders’ Friendship and Tragedy (Re-Air) Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Over the summer, Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was struck and killed by fireworks at a 4th of July celebration in Michigan. It was a tragedy that hit especially hard for Kivlenieks’ friend and teammate, fellow netminder Elvis Merzlikins. The two goaltenders shared more than just their position: they were among just a handful of NHL players from the tiny nation of Latvia. Merzlikins even invited Kivlenieks to live with him and his wife in Columbus. Emily Kaplan joins the show to share the story of their friendship, the tragedy that took one life far too young, and how the Blue Jackets plan to honor their fallen teammate.

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Alex Smith + Louis Riddick on NFL Super Wild Card Games Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

The heroics and heartbreak of the NFL playoffs are here! Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down all the action from a Super Wild Card weekend that delivered…from Cincinnati breaking its 31-year playoff curse, to the Cowboys finding yet another year of heartbreak as the clock ran down to 0…to the Bills decimating the Patriots. Then, ESPN’s Louis Riddick previews the first Monday Night Wild Card matchup in over 30 years…a rubber match between two familiar NFC West foes in the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

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Bill Barnwell Tames the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend is here! This supersized first round of playoff action has it all. The AFC playoffs will see the Raiders travel to Cincinnati to take on Joe Burrow - who’s in danger from Las Vegas DE Maxx Crosby, the Patriots and Bills grinding through single digit temperatures, and T.J. Watt making a stand, as the Steelers visit the Chiefs. The NFC side of things sets up an Eagles team who may be getting hot at the right time vs. the Super Bowl champion Bucs, a matchup laden with playoff history between the Cowboys-Niners, and Kyler Murray’s playoff debut when the Cardinals play the Rams. Bill Barnwell helps us make sense of every playoff game, under-the-radar player and storylines you may have missed, and what comes next.

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What Went Wrong for Brian Flores and the Dolphins Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

The end of the NFL regular season inevitably means a round of firings of head coaches from the league's underperforming teams. But this year, one name came as a shock: Brian Flores. He was fired by the Miami Dolphins after compiling a record of 24-25 in his three seasons at the helm. The Dolphins nearly made it to the playoffs in 2020, and bounced back from an 0-7 start this season to finish 9-8. ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques explains what led to Flores’ ousting…and why it may have had nothing to do with football.

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DeMar DeRozan: The MVP Candidate Fueling the Chicago Bulls Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

The most surprising MVP candidate in the NBA this season basically spent a dozen years hiding in plain sight: DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls. Remembered by many as being the player on the other end of the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard trade, DeRozan is having his best season yet at age 32. Now playing for the upstart Chicago Bulls, DeRozan isn’t just leading the 1st place team in the Eastern Conference: he’s feeding into a championship hunger that dates back to Michael Jordan and the 90s. Bulls beat writer Jamal Collier sat down with DeRozan, and he joins the show to share his story, and tells us what the mood is like in Chicago now that the Bulls are back.

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How Georgia Beat Bama to Be College Football Champions Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

The Georgia Bulldogs are your 2022 College Football Champions! The biggest night in CFB was a thriller until the very end, with Georgia and Alabama trading touchdowns late into the fourth quarter. After a season that saw continued discussion of changing the College Football Playoff, the introduction of NIL freedom for players, and SEC omnipresence, Mike Golic Jr. breaks down the game that won the title, what the win means for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, a former assistant of Nick Saban’s, and what’s ahead for the ever-dominant SEC.

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Alex Smith on Wild End of NFL Regular Season Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

The NFL’s regular season has left us with wider eyes than when it started. Our Monday QB Alex Smith breaks down the Sunday chaos where the improbable ruled: the Raiders won in overtime, narrowly evading the vaunted tie scenario and keeping the Chargers out of the playoffs. Earlier, the 49ers pulled off the comeback to beat the Rams in LA in OT. And the Colts, who had a win-and-in scenario in Jacksonville, will now have to settle for front row seats at the college National Championship Game – by the way that’s where we found ESPN’s Dave Fleming and his daughter Ally, decked out for the Dawgs.

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Bill Barnwell on NFL Week 18, Playoff Picture, and a Bizarre NFL Season Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

The NFL finishes its first 17-game regular season this weekend, and stakes around the league are high. With numerous records across the sport on the verge of breaking this Sunday, Bill Barnwell reflects on what a weird football season it’s been, and answers our most burning questions headed into the playoffs, like: could the Saints sneak into the NFC race with Taysom Hill under center, or even unknown QB Ian Book? Are the Titans the worst #1 seed the AFC has ever seen? And should the Raiders and Chargers declare a temporary truce so they both can make the playoffs?

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