ESPN Daily

The 2023 NFL Draft is Thursday night, and all signs point to Alabama QB Bryce Young going to the Panthers as the No. 1 pick. Young has dazzled in his time at Tuscaloosa. Taking home the Heisman Trophy and building a college football Hall of Fame worthy resume as well. But it’s his size not his accolades that make him unique in this year’s draft. He stands at 5-foot-10 and just under 200 pounds, making him one of the shortest and lightest QBs potentially going at the top of the draft in decades. So today, Pete Thamel joins us to break down whether or not Young can measure up to the job in front of him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Although Kansas City Chiefs fans are still basking in the glow of their team’s Super Bowl victory, the rest of the National Football League and its fans have begun to focus on the new season that starts this Thursday…at the 2023 NFL Draft. And this year’s draft feels as unpredictable as any in recent memory. Before she heads to KC, Mina Kimes answers all of our most pressing draft questions: like how many quarterbacks we should expect to see taken in the first round, who’s rising up the draft boards, and whether a last minute blockbuster trade could change everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We can all see the physical toll that athletes take upon their bodies. What we might not be as aware of, is the mental and emotional stress that many of them are subject to as well. Especially after retiring. So how do these athletes find ways to manage that sort of trauma? In some cases, the unlikely answer is psychedelics. One underground community of athletes journeyed to Jamaica on a retreat to take psilocybin aka “magic mushrooms,” to help them heal, and rediscover themselves. A journey to let go of the pain. So today, Kevin Van Valkenburg takes us inside a seldom glimpsed world…to shed some light on an unusual, but intriguing healing practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bijan Robinson is one of the best running back prospects to enter the NFL draft in recent memory, but it’s looking like he won’t be drafted as such. That’s because the value of the running back has changed in today’s NFL due to a short shelf life at the position, the rise of the passing games, and teams finding better value in the later rounds for what was once one of the NFL’s premier positions. But Bijan hopes to change all of that. So today, Hallie Grossman shares his story, and tells us how the only flaw in his game is that he may have been born in the wrong generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Game two between the Lakers and Grizzlies is going down tonight, and this matchup proves we have something the NBA has been lacking for many years: genuine bad blood. Memphis is a team that has not only made an enemy out of Los Angeles, but the league as a whole. And Grizzlies guard, Dillon Brooks? For this series, he’s set his sights on one thing: becoming the next player in a long history of players to master the art of antagonizing Lebron James. So today, Brian Windhorst joins guest host Jorge Sedano to give the historical accounting of players who were proud to be “LeBron James agitators,” and he tells us whether Dillon Brooks has what it takes to get under King James’s skin…and turn this series around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You could be forgiven for not recognizing the Cleveland Cavaliers team that you watched lose in game one to the New York Knicks 101-97. The Cavs haven’t made a postseason visit since Lebron James made his exit back in 2018, but enter Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has coaches and fans of the Cavaliers hoping that his leadership combined with the young talent in place, can push Cleveland deep into the playoffs. So today, Nick Friedell joins the show to tell us how this team came together, what they need to do to succeed, and how much of the Donovan Mitchell gamble is on the line this postseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Stanley Cup playoffs are the most thrilling, unpredictable, and tense two month tournament in all of sports: and it all starts tonight. With a historically great Boston Bruins steamrolling the league, scoring leader Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers still chasing his first championship with the team, and the perpetually disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs attempting to make it out of the first round since 2004, the road to hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup is as difficult as ever. So today, Norris Trophy winner and three time NHL All-Star turned ESPN hockey analyst P.K. Subban joins Emily Kaplan to get us hyped for the postseason, ahead of puck drop.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tomorrow marks ten years since the Boston Marathon Bombing…a day that changed the city, and its iconic race, forever. Three people were killed in the blasts that day, including eight-year old Martin Richard. In the days and weeks following the attack, Martin Richard, as much as anyone, became the face of the victims. A photo of him, holding a sign reading “No More Hurting People. Peace.” became an instantly iconic symbol of all that was lost on that tragic day. Now, ten years later, Martin Richard’s friends and family are running the marathon in his honor. Chris Connelly joins guest host Emily Kaplan to tell the story of the little boy whose memory lives on in the hearts of so many who will be running for him on marathon Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re barely two weeks into the MLB season and things are already looking…unusual. In addition to the slew of game-changing rules introduced this year, we’re already seeing some other surprises on the diamond. For example, the team currently leading the NL West is NOT the Dodgers, or the Padres, but rather the Arizona Diamondbacks. The young Baltimore Orioles are shaping up to be one of the more fun teams to watch, and the Tampa Bay Rays are doing things that haven’t been done since the ‘80s…the 1880s! So today, Jeff Passan joins the show to give us his assessment on the state of baseball at this moment, and determine how the new rules will affect the future of the league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was 30 years ago this week that a nearly impossible, yet unforgettable shot was made at the Chicago Stadium. On that evening, a 23-year old office supplies salesman named Don Calhoun participated in the million dollar shot contest, in which he had to make a ¾ court shot to win one million dollars. With less than a 1% chance, Don’s shot sailed right into the net, and the entire arena, including Michael Jordan, went crazy. But, shortly after this incredible scene, rumors began to circulate that Don might not receive the prize money, because of some contest fineprint. Ryan Hockensmith tells guest host Emily Kaplan the story of how an unimaginable shot ultimately needed an assist from Air Jordan himself….and how that gesture forever changed the lives of one Chicago man and his family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices