ESPN Daily

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that the first two series of the regular season, over 90 games in total, would be canceled. Negotiations between MLB and its Players Association have dragged on since the lockout began in December, and the current tensions have been brewing for years. MLB Insider Jeff Passan called it one of the darkest days in baseball. He tells us why the players are upset, whether or not this was inevitable…and just how far both sides are from an agreement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The entire world has watched in shock and horror this past week as the Russian Army invaded Ukraine. At the center of it stands one man, whose thinking and motivation everyone is seeking to better understand: Russian president Vladimir Putin. But as it turns out, there may be no better way into the mind of Putin than through his deep, deliberate impact on the world of sports. Investigative reporter TJ Quinn traveled to Russia in 2018 to report on Putin’s ties to the sports world, and how he has used major events like the World Cup and the Olympics to maintain his grip on power. Quinn explains what we can learn about Putin through the lens of sports, and why athletes and officials are finally fighting back against him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL combine: an annual spectacle that is part job interview, part gym class, and part reality TV show. It is also a critical moment in deciding the future of a new class of NFL draft prospects. An exceptionally good or bad performance in the combine will make a prospect’s draft stock rise or fall, meaning millions in potential salary is on the table. But just how useful is the combine in actually predicting a player’s NFL career? And what is it like for the players to run the gauntlet of medical evaluations, physical tests, and character evaluations? ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth went through the process in 2005. He shares all the secrets from inside the scouting combine, and why it may not be as important as we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For six years the Dallas Cowboys had a secret. One of their top executives was accused of spying on several cheerleaders in a locker room: and the team wrote a big check to make it all go away. Don Van Natta investigates this story for ESPN and shares the other bombshell accusation that was made, what it reveals about Jerry Jones’ team, and what happens next for the women at the center of this incident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While NBA players and their style of play have changed drastically in the league’s 75 years of existence, the rules that govern the game have mostly stayed the same. The popularity of the All-Star Game’s “Elam Ending” shows that changing many of basketball's long-standing rules could improve the game for fans, players and the league. ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry dives deep into which rules should get scrapped and what to do instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brad Marchand contains multitudes. Sure, the Boston Bruins winger could be called the most hated man in hockey, back on the ice tonight after serving his latest suspension - his second of the season. But Marchand is also one of the top scorers in the NHL, integral to the Bruins’ offense. He’s known for cheap shots, punching opposing players, licking faces, and was once given the nickname “Little Ball of Hate” from former President Barack Obama. Greg Wyshynski joins us to discuss Marchand’s reputation, his impact on the Bruins, and how we’ll look back on his legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all turned to Wikipedia, the massive volunteer-run database, for more answers than we’d care to admit. And we’re so often reminded that anyone - anyone - can edit Wikipedia entries whenever they want. So when massive sporting events like the Olympics happen, and sports become a shared cultural touchstone, you can bet that Wiki-vandals will pounce. They edit Wikipedia entries and turn them into a modern-day, digital bathroom wall. ESPN’s Dave Fleming takes us inside the secret world of Wikipedia sports vandalism, shares how this phenomenon began, and tells us what Wikipedia is trying to do to stop it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Play Like a Champion Today.” It’s one of the most iconic phrases in sports, and it’s long been synonymous with Notre Dame. Over the years, legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has told the story of the team’s famous sign, and the traditional pregame slap that’s performed as they take the field. Holtz put up the sign, yes. But where did he get the idea? Another powerhouse college program disputes Holtz’s claims. ESPN’s Dave Wilson tells us who might - or might not - deserve credit for one of the most famous sentences in sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Badwater ultramarathon is known as the world’s most impossible run. From grueling mountain climbs to scorching, 100+ degree temperatures in the middle of Death Valley, it’s a 135 mile race that only a select group of individuals have ever finished. Enter Kelaine Conochan, who pushed her mind, body, and soul to its limit, in pursuit of completing the race in July of 2021. She wrote about her Badwater experience for ESPN.com, and shares what she lost - and found - in her 37 hours of running, chafing, chugging flat Coca-Cola, and flat out surviving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With a 3-pointer and a bow at Madison Square Garden’s center court, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young added to his growing legend in last year’s playoffs. To understand that moment, and the 23-year-old NBA All Star that authored it, ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye traced Young’s roots back to tiny Pampa, Texas and a love for basketball passed down through generations. Akintoye explains the mental makeup and leadership potential of a young man who's not afraid to play the villain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices