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From La Quinta Inn To NFL Standout: The Rise Of Logan Thomas Aug 31, 2021

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Back in 2015, Logan Thomas was a quarterback on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, living out of a room ($68 a night) at a La Quinta Inn, with his wife, three kids and Great Dane — for 150 days. Five years later, in 2020, he emerged as a difference-making tight end for the Washington Football Team, and received a new $24 million contract this offseason. Today, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei tells the story of Thomas’s remarkable rise from struggling quarterback to standout tight end in the NFL.

Read Dan Pompei’s full story about Logan Thomas: https://theathletic.com/2777153/2021/08/19/logan-thomas-remarkable-script-continues-to-be-written-with-the-washington-football-team/?source=theleadpodcast

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The Afghan Women's Soccer Team's Incredible Escape From Kabul Aug 30, 2021

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With the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan, many groups have been fearful of retribution, including the Afghan Women's National Soccer Team, which has long been a symbol of defiance to the ultra-conservative Islamic group. Last week, against all odds (and amidst the chaos at the Kabul airport), the players and their family members managed to make it out of the country alive. Today, we have the inside story of their incredible escape, which included secret communications, beatings by the Taliban, and wading through a canal filled with sewage water -- and how teamwork ultimately helped them survive.

Here are links to some of the organizations working to help the team:

Girl Power - https://www.girlpowerorg.com/

Human Right For All - https://www.hr4a.com.au/

Centre For Sport And Human Rights - https://www.sporthumanrights.org/

FIFPRO - https://www.fifpro.org/en

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Inside Four NFL Training Camps Aug 27, 2021

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The start of the NFL season is now just two weeks away. And while teams have been hard at work in training camps, The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones has also been hard at work -- traveling to those camps. Lindsay joins us today to share her observations from recent trips to Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and Denver, where she had a front row seat for everything from Urban Meyer's unconventional practices to Tom Brady's seemingly ageless arm.

More from Ed Malyon:

https://theathletic.com/author/ed-malyon/

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Wads Of Cash And Carne Asada Fries: When Fans Interact With Outfielders Aug 24, 2021

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With fans back in the stands during the 2021 MLB season, we’ve seen the return of one of baseball’s most unique traditions: fans interacting with outfielders while they’re playing in the field. However, as fun as these interactions can be, there are times that the dynamic turns dangerous, like the incident this year where a fan threw a baseball at Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris to discuss why these interactions are a double-edged sword, and whether they should ultimately be a part of the game.

Read Eno Sarris’s full story about outfielder-fan interactions: https://theathletic.com/2754023/2021/08/19/carne-asada-fries-pizza-bird-legs-the-unexpected-potential-of-outfield-fan-interactions/?source=theleadpodcast

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The Business Of Being Notre Dame Football Star Kyle Hamilton Aug 23, 2021

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In late June, the college sports landscape changed forever when the NCAA's Board of Governors voted to allow student athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness -- or NIL. Notre Dame star safety Kyle Hamilton and his family have wasted no time in exploring what this new reality means for his ability to build a brand before he even enters the NFL as potential top-10 pick. Today The Athletic's Pete Sampson takes us inside Hamilton's new life as both a football player and a trailblazer in the new world of NIL and college athletics.

Read Pete Sampson's story about Kyle Hamilton here: https://theathletic.com/2754680/2021/08/06/inside-kyle-hamilton-inc-notre-dame-stars-unofficial-family-startup/

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The Swimmer Who Overcame A Leg Amputation, And Then Another Aug 20, 2021

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In her early teens, Morgan Stickney was a highly accomplished swimmer who had a legitimate shot at the Olympics. Then came a mysterious series of injuries that upended her life and left doctors across the country scratching their heads. Now, a decade later, Morgan is one of the U.S.‘s top swimmers and a favorite to win gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.

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Cockroaches And Car Camping: Why Are Minor Leaguers Living In Squalor? Aug 19, 2021

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For a lot of fans, the first thing that comes to mind with minor league baseball is family fun, goofy promotions and generally just an all-around happy environment. However, in 2021, the reality for the players — especially when it comes to finances — is a lot more bleak. The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli recently reported on the squalor that many minor leaguers have been living in, from roach infestations to sometimes sleeping out of cars. Today, she joins us to discuss why this is reaching a boiling point in 2021, and what can ultimately be done about it.

Read Britt Ghiroli’s full story about minor league baseball living conditions: https://theathletic.com/2750280/2021/08/05/cockroaches-car-camping-poverty-wages-why-are-minor-leaguers-living-in-squalor/?source=theleadpodcast

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From An Electrician's Apprentice To A Major League No-Hitter Aug 18, 2021

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A year ago, Tyler Gilbert was a minor league castoff who had returned to his hometown to train with his high school baseball coach and to work with his dad, who is an electrician. Then, this past weekend, against all odds, Gilbert threw a no-hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first major league start -- a feat that has been accomplished by only three other people in history. Zach Buchanan, who covers the Diamondbacks for The Athletic, joins us to discuss how Gilbert's incredible 180 came about, where he goes from here, and the scout who saw something special in Gilbert where others did not.

Read Zach Buchanan's full story about Tyler Gilbert:

https://theathletic.com/2771005/2021/08/15/there-was-never-a-doubt-how-diamondbacks-rookie-tyler-gilbert-went-from-nobody-to-no-hitter/

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