ESPN Daily

When Michigan and Washington meet tonight in the College Football Playoff National Championship, there’s more at stake than who can claim the top spot in the 2023 college football season.That’s because Michigan head coach, Jim Harbaugh, has accomplished nearly everything a high level coach can. He’s taken the 49ers to the Super Bowl, and appeared in the College Football Playoff multiple years in a row with the Wolverines.And Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., has gone from overperforming in Indiana, to becoming Heisman runner-up with the Huskies. Setting his sights on the first round of the NFL draft in the process.But neither has done one thing…win a championship.So today, Kyle Bonagura reports on what he’s learned about both men, and how their paths led them to this moment, a national title matchup, tonight on ESPN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last month Ja Morant returned to his Memphis Grizzlies after a 25-game suspension for repeated gun related incidents and accusations. Now his every move is being watched closely. While his presence on the court has been an electrifying boon to his team, off the court, it’s unclear what the league expects out of his “rehabilitation.” So ESPN’s Senior NBA Writer Chris Herring joins the show to explore the complexities of Ja Morant this season and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL regular season comes to a close this weekend, and while some of the questions have been answered, plenty still remain. With playoff seeding still undecided in some cases – to say nothing of the AFC East – and other questions that will slide to the back burner until after the postseason, Kevin Clark joins the show to help guide us through the finale of America’s favorite TV show … the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s nothing quite like the tradition of the college football postseason. Whether it's the tradition of the Rose Bowl or newer, more eclectic offerings like the Pop-Tarts Bowl, there’s something for everyone. Games that decide the National Championship juxtaposed with pomp, circumstance, and edible mascots. So today, Bill Connelly joins the show to recap what he saw on New Year's Day, as Michigan and Washington advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship, and to explain how bowl season stands to change, in the 12-team playoff era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’ve probably seen the image: Tommie Smith and John Carlos standing on an Olympic podium in Mexico City in 1968, accepting their medals, heads bowed, with a gloved fist raised in the air. It’s one of the most enduring moments not just from that Olympics, but in all of American history. It was a representation of the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements on a global stage…and you probably don’t know the full story.So today, 55 years after his iconic act of defiance, we revisit one of our favorite moments of the year, when Dr. John Carlos sat down with David Dennis, Jr. to discuss the impact it had on himself and those around him…and we delve into the mind of a 23-year-old who was ready to change the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For years, Super Bowl winners have used a four-word phrase to commemorate their iconic victory: “I’m going to Disney World!” (or alternately, “I’m going to Disneyland!”) In all its simplicity, this phrase has stretched across many generations of winners….all the way up to the most recent champion, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Sam Borden tracked down the origin of this famous sentence for SC Featured, and he explains how this “magic” phrase became an institution unto itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you live in the United Kingdom, you probably know the voice of Wayne Mardle. But at the beginning of the year, millions of people around the world suddenly got a taste of him calling the World Darts Championship final – a genuinely historic duel between Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands and Michael Smith of England. And Wayne’s commentary helped make it the most globally viral thing that’s pretty much ever happened to this admittedly strange game.So, today, for everyone who watched that clip with awe (and maybe a little confusion too) we once again bring you Wayne Mardle himself, as he tells the glorious story of the darts game that was heard around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are Buffalo Bills fans called “Bills Mafia?” It’s a story that’s become legend within Buffalo. But outside of Bills fandom, the story is less well known, even for the individuals involved with the creation of Bills Mafia themselves. Twelve years ago, Stevie Johnson dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, and seemingly blamed God on Twitter, in the aftermath. That moment sparked a movement among Bills fans, and inspired Bills Mafia as we know it now. So today, we revisit one of our favorite ESPN Daily investigations: hear Adam Schefter, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson, Ryan Clark, and more explain their roles in how a divine blunder branded the NFL’s most devoted fanbase, Bills Mafia. Buffalo Bills beat reporter Alaina Getzenberg and Bills Mafia co-founder Del Reid also share the other side of Bills Mafia: the force for charity, as the community rallied around Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s recovery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s one of the most infamous fan stories in sports history: when Eagles fans booed Santa at halftime of a game played at Franklin Field. But who was the Santa in question - and why was he booed and pelted with snowballs? It’s ESPN Daily’s Christmas tradition to bring you this episode, so hear an encore with Jeremy Schaap and Mina Kimes as they reflect on the enduring legacy of the Philadelphia Santa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2023 was another banner year in sports…there were so many stories that kept us glued to our screens all year long. Over at ESPN.com there is a year end quiz on the biggest sports stories each month, as identified by Google Trends data team.And so we figured, why not copy our teammates' homework? So today, Israel Gutierrez and Emily Kaplan join our host, Clinton Yates, in a quiz show episode to find out who retained the most information about this year’s biggest sports stories.It’s the inaugural ESPN Daily Year in Review Quiz Show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices