ESPN Daily

Formula 1 Racing has been incredibly popular overseas for decades. Its drivers are some of the most well-known and highest paid athletes in the world, but it's never taken off in the U.S. Now, thanks in part to the hit Netflix series “F1: Drive to Survive,” Formula 1 has begun to convert Americans with its high-speed danger and soap opera drama. Ryan McGee takes the wheel to give a crash course on Formula 1 racing. Then Marc Spears explains what Juneteenth means to him across sports and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Australian two-time world champion Tyler Wright was born to surf. She achieved incredible victories in the water, while enduring tremendous loss in her personal life. This combination of fame and chaos nearly broke her. As she was falling in love with her then-girlfriend, Wright also wasn’t sure her sport could accept her. It took a crippling illness for Wright to decide she was not only going to keep surfing, but do so while being unapologetically herself. Alyssa Roenigk reports on this incredible journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. Open tees off this week, with all eyes on the simmering feud between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Michael Collins, ESPN analyst and host of “America’s Caddie” on ESPN+, joins the show from Torrey Pines to discuss the origins of this rivalry, why the bad blood between these two golf stars has continued, and whether or not all the drama is good for the sport. Plus, how Collins went from standup comedy stages to the links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been 10 years since the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins, in Vancouver. Canucks fans didn’t exactly hide their frustrations, as a riot engulfed the city. Now, a decade later, arguably the most enduring image of that night was a photo of a couple, kissing on the ground, surrounded by police in riot gear. Greg Wyshynski caught up with the couple, and the photographer, and joins the show to share how that iconic image endures to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another weekend of NBA playoff action is in the books. On Sunday, tensions flared between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, with league MVP Nikola Jokic getting ejected in the third quarter as the Suns swept. The Milwaukee Bucks put together a dominant effort led by Giannis Antetokounmpo to win Game 4 vs. the Nets, putting the series at 2-2 as Brooklyn grapples with Kyrie Irving and James Harden’s injuries. Kirk Goldsberry assesses all the on-the-court action and looks ahead to the rest of this week’s games. Then, newcomer Nets superfan Mina Kimes reassures the Brooklyn faithful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Never has “better late than never” meant so much to so many. That’s because the 2020 Euros - aka the UEFA European Championship - kicks off today after a year’s delay due to the pandemic. It’s a tournament that consumes the continent and combines high drama on the pitch with real-world geopolitical stakes off of it. Coming off their World Cup victory in 2018, France are heavy favorites, but can they survive the “Group of Death” with rival Germany and reigning champs Portugal? Sam Borden joins us from Rome for a preview of the 24-team field that will see matches played at 11 sites across Europe. Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on athletes and coaches deciding to get the COVID vaccine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The worst-kept secret in baseball is being brought to light. With batting averages at an all-time low and strikeouts at an all-time high, Major League Baseball is cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances to get a better grip on the ball. Buster Olney helps us understand why it took so long for MLB to enforce these rules, and why the gentleman’s agreement that tolerated the practice for years no longer holds. It’s an all-too-familiar story in a sport where the steroid era proved that players will always seek any available competitive edge. Then, Montreal native Ariel Helwani makes the case for why we should jump on the Montreal Canadiens bandwagon, as they’re one series away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This NFL offseason is bursting with drama. There’s Julio Jones signing with the Tennessee Titans after more than a decade as the Atlanta Falcons star receiver. Aaron Rodgers won’t be showing up for required OTAs with the Packers, and his rift with the organization isn’t any closer to resolution. Ryan Clark helps us navigate the biggest NFL storylines, checks in on the various QB controversies, and discusses which teams have the most at stake in the coming months heading into the regular season. Then, Jessica Mendoza comes up to the plate to talk about the Women’s College World Series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL says it will stop using race-norming in evaluating former players’ concussion claims, as the practice makes it less likely for Black claimants to receive financial compensation. In years of settling and paying out claims up to now, the league has maintained its process was sound. Ryan Smith has been investigating the story for ESPN and ABC. He shares what prompted the NFL’s change in position, what updates to the program might look like and cost, and whether Black players previously denied payouts with race-norming in place will now be compensated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first round of the NBA Playoffs closed out in dramatic fashion yesterday, with Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard providing a pair of dynamic performances in Game 7 as the Clippers advanced past the Mavs. Also, the Atlanta Hawks took Game 1 in their series vs. the Sixers, thanks to a nearly unstoppable Trae Young, who’s been the breakout star of this postseason. And despite James Harden going down with an injury in the first minute, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1...and are now looking at the prospect of being Harden-less for at least Game 2. Brian Windhorst runs through the biggest storylines of the weekend’s basketball action, and looks ahead to the second round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices