ESPN Daily

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit this week against the NFL and three teams, alleging discrimination and racism in their hiring practices. The suit includes shocking details, alleging that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores $100,000 per loss to improve the team’s draft position. Flores also allegedly learned that the New York Giants’ head coaching job he was set to interview for was no longer available, through an accidental text from Bill Belichick. Ryan Smith explains the lawsuit, its relationship to the NFL’s Rooney Rule for coach hiring, and what’s next.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re not paying attention to the Memphis Grizzlies this season, you might want to start now. Led by the electric Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have the NBA’s third best record, and have earned a reputation for their swagger and fearlessness. Tim MacMahon shares why things are finally clicking in Memphis, tracks Ja Morant’s rise, and explains what makes this team so entertaining - and if they can make a run in the NBA postseason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Winter Olympics begin this week, but if you’re anything like us, you probably need some help getting up to speed on who to watch out for in Beijing. There’s Red Gerard, defending gold medalist in snowboarding from the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, whose family just might be the Gronkowskis of the Olympics. There is the most decorated American skier ever, Mikaela Shriffin, who finally gets the spotlight to herself with the retirement of Lindsey Vonn. And then there’s Chloe Kim, who famously won gold in 2018 at the age of 18…but her path back to the snow has been a rocky one. Our resident Olympics correspondent Alyssa Roenigk is here to fill you in on everything you need to know for the 2022 Winter Games.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bengals and Rams are going to Super Bowl LVI! In the AFC Championship, Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ defense took the Chiefs to overtime and won in Arrowhead, sending Cincinnati to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988. And, in the NFC Championship in Los Angeles, the Rams capitalized on a lackluster performance from Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense. Alex Smith breaks down the games, and shares his memories of the maybe-soon-to-be-retired Tom Brady. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Thicc Six.” It’s a phrase that has exploded across Twitter this NFL season, usually when a quarterback throws a touchdown to an open…and eligible…offensive lineman. But, why are we seeing so many Big Man touchdowns all of sudden? And what makes them so awesome? Mike Golic Jr. takes us into the trenches and into the psychology of the NFL’s largest men, and explains why their moment in the spotlight brings so much joy to so many. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook last summer, championship expectations were set. But now, they currently sit in the eighth seed of the Western Conference with a .500 record. They might even miss the playoffs. It’s become clear that the Westbrook experiment playing out on this Lakers team is failing. So who’s at fault? And what’s next? Ramona Shelburne takes us inside Crypto.com Arena to answer all of our questions, and game out solutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It has been exactly two years since a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, three members of the Altobelli family and four others. Alyssa Altobelli was a teammate of Gianna’s, and she was accompanied by her parents John and Keri. As it turns out, John was a legendary figure in his own right as the head baseball coach of Orange Coast College, a junior college in Orange County. In his 27 years at the helm of the program, John won over 700 games and four state championships. ESPN’s Chris Connelly explains the mutual respect John and Kobe had for each other, and just how big of an impact John had on his team…and in his community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the results of what may be the most controversial ballot in Cooperstown history. It’s not only the final year players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, and Curt Schilling can appear on the writers’ ballot, but also the first year David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are eligible. So our baseball insider Jeff Passan walks us through the process of HOF voting and what’s at stake. He also explains why he chose to give us his own Hall of Fame vote, and how he thinks Cooperstown should tell the history of baseball’s PED era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The football was very, very good this weekend. Mere seconds were the difference in NFL seasons living and dying, as all four games came down to their final play. Our Monday Morning QB, Alex Smith is here to unpack what may be the best couple days of playoff football ever. Mahomes vs. Allen lived up to the heavyweight billing with a quarterback duel for the ages, trading touchdowns and finally ending in overtime. Smith also takes us through why Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense froze out in Green Bay, why Matthew Stafford and the Rams are inching closer to the ultimate home field advantage, and how Joe Burrow and the Bengals stunned the top seeded Titans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL divisional round playoffs are here! In the NFC, the Niners are looking for another upset on the road: this time in Lambeau, vs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. And Matthew Stafford’s LA Rams have a date with Tom Brady and the Bucs, in Tampa. Over in the AFC, Joe Burrow and the Bengals will face a healthy Derrick Henry and the Titans, while Josh Allen and the Bills meet Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship. Mina Kimes takes us inside each matchup, and tells us what she’s watching for in this weekend’s games.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices