The Lead

Latest Episodes:

About Those "Juiced" Baseballs... Oct 21, 2019

Show notes

With the World Series about to begin, we check in with Dr. Meredith Wills, an astrophysicist, about one of this season's biggest storylines -- the record-setting number of home runs and the allegedly "juiced" baseballs. Wells has been studying MLB balls for years, and she explains her findings. Plus, we check in with The Athletic's Jayson Stark about how the balls used in the World Series might affect the teams involved, and we look at how the Astros and Nationals match up against one another.

You can hear more from Jayson Stark every Tuesday on his "Starkville" podcast:

https://theathletic.com/podcast/25-starkville/?source=theleadpodcast

And revisit the 2000 World Series with the latest "Sports Wars" series about the Subway Series: https://wondery.com/shows/sports-wars/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SMU's Return from a Death Sentence Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

In 1986 the NCAA delivered what is unofficially known as the “death penalty” to the Southern Methodist University football program. The team was found guilty of egregious recruiting violations and barred from playing any football during the 1987 season, along with other sanctions. Now, the Mustangs are 6-0 and back in the AP Top 25 for the first time in more than three decades. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini explains how a second year coach has guided the team back to winning ways using an unconventional team building tactic.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why NFL Refs Are Losing Credibility Oct 17, 2019

Show notes

On Monday night, the Lions lost to the Packers after a series of dubious calls by the referees. Fans were outraged. Commentator Booger McFarland went berserk. Even Barry Sanders, the soft-spoken former Lions star, voiced his frustration on Twitter. NFL writer Lindsay Jones joins us to explain what happened in the game, how and why the quality of refereeing in the league appears to be declining, and what can be done about it.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will The Angels Face Consequences For Tyler Skaggs’s Death? Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

Former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs unexpectedly died in July. An autopsy revealed he had fentanyl and oxycodone in his system. New reporting suggests an Angels employee — who is cooperating with the DEA — supplied drugs for Skaggs and that two other high-ranking executives knew about Skaggs's drug use as early as 2017. In this episode, The Athletic’s Katie Strang looks back at Skaggs's death, explains how the Angels organization might have mishandled the case, and analyzes the potential liability for the team and Major League Baseball itself.

Read Katie Strang’s analysis of the legal implications of the Tyler Skaggs case:

https://theathletic.com/1294989/2019/10/15/analyzing-the-legal-implications-of-the-tyler-skaggs-case/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NBA's In India, Too Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

As the NBA stays locked in a political standoff with China, the league has also made a big move in another major overseas market: India. The league played its first-ever preseason game in India two weekends ago. The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings tipped off in Mumbai before a crowd of 4,500 people -- oddly, most of them were children. The Athletic’s Sam Amick joins us to talk about how the game went and how the move fits into the NBA's larger strategy of global expansion. Shaun Jayachandran also reports from the ground.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick on the NBA’s quest to grow the game around the globe:

https://theathletic.com/1273376/2019/10/07/nba-india-diary-sacramento-king-indiana-pacers-preseason-trip/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An NBA Owner With Close Ties To China Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

Joseph Tsai, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets has become a central character in the NBA-China story. As co-founder and executive vice-chairman of Alibaba, he has close ties to the Chinese government, and recently released a statement in support of China’s policies in Hong Kong. The Athletic's Bill Shea joins us to talk about Tsai's history, his love of sports, and why he's putting NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a tricky situation.

You can find Bill's latest writing on the NBA and China here: https://theathletic.com/1275004/2019/10/08/how-much-does-the-nba-stand-to-lose-in-china-over-a-tweet/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Surprising History of Big League Chew Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

Big League Chew, the bubble gum made to look like chewing tobacco, turns 40 next year. The gum has a fascinating history that involves an independent baseball team in Portland, the actor Kurt Russell, and two baseball outsiders who used chewing gum to stay connected to the game they love -- and to book their ticket to Cooperstown.

Check out Corey Brock’s story on the origin of Big League Chew:

https://theathletic.com/1190981/2019/09/10/how-jim-bouton-and-his-maverick-teammates-opened-up-that-first-pouch-of-big-league-chew/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NBA’s Tricky Relationship With China Oct 09, 2019

Show notes

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey created an international incident with a tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters. The backlash was swift and severe, as China broke ties with the Rockets and ceased broadcasting their games. Estimates say the NBA's relationship with China is worth billions, so the league is trying to walk a fine line. We investigate the history, the fallout, and look at what might happen next.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special Investigation: UNC's Concussion Research May Not Be Reliable Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

A nine-month investigation by The Athletic raises troubling questions about abnormally high ADHD rates among University of North Carolina athletes and their use of prescription medications, and asks why these high levels of ADHD were not disclosed in papers coming out of the UNC’s renowned brain injury research center. The investigation calls into question the validity of research papers on concussions, some of which have influenced NCAA policy.

The Athletic's 3-part video series on UNC can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWM6ES5ykL4&list=PLJFxqDQGJPM3fOD-XK_WEs-9iS5ZDv-JS?source=theleadpodcast

The Athletic's report about the absence of critical data from UNC's renowned concussion research center:

https://theathletic.com/1261858/2019/10/08/failure-to-disclose-the-mysterious-absence-of-critical-data-from-uncs-renowned-concussion-research/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How Aaron Boone Is Excelling In 'The Most Pressure-Packed Job In Sports' Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

The New York Yankees are one of the most storied teams in all of professional sports. So how did a former player-turned-broadcaster with no managerial experience become the team’s skipper? Hear about Aaron Boone’s unlikely rise to the most iconic job in baseball, learn more about his famous ‘savages in the box’ incident, and find out how he has proven his critics wrong as the team sets its sights on a World Series title.

Read Rustin Dodd’s story on how Aaron Boone became the perfect voice for the Yankees:

https://theathletic.com/1246710/2019/10/01/being-boonie-how-charisma-and-a-crazy-competitive-side-made-aaron-boone-the-perfect-voice-for-the-yankees/?source=theleadpodcast

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected