The Lead

After winning the NBA title this past summer, things appeared to be going pretty smoothly for the Warriors heading into the new season. But then, last week, Draymond Green punched Jordan Poole at practice — and turmoil arrived for the defending champs. Today, with less than one week to go until their title defense tips off, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater to look at all the fallout from the Draymond-Poole saga, and whether this team has enough time to put it all together before the season starts. (Note: News broke early Wednesday morning that Draymond Green is expected to rejoin the Warriors on Thursday.)Follow Anthony Slater’s coverage of the Warriors: https://theathletic.com/author/anthony-slater/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a six-month sprint through the regular season, the MLB Playoffs get underway on Friday. To get us ready for October, The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt joins the show to look at the stars and storylines that will define the postseason, including Aaron Judge and the Yankees hoping to harness their first-half dominance, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers aiming to build on a 111-win season, and a slightly different path for the Braves as they try to earn a rare World Series repeat.Follow Stephen Nesbitt’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/stephen-j-nesbitt/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over the past two years, a massive welfare fraud scheme has been simmering in Mississippi. And a key player in that scandal is Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre. With the help of a former Mississippi governor, Favre was able to direct state welfare funds -- money that was intended to help poor people -- to the University of Southern Mississippi for the purpose of building a new volleyball stadium. The Athletic’s Katie Strang and Kalyn Kahler join us today to break down that scandal, and to talk about their own investigative work, which revealed new information about Favre's charity.Read Katie and Kalyn's full story about Favre 4 Hope: https://theathletic.com/3639243/2022/09/28/brett-favre-welfare-mississippi/Read Mississippi Today's coverage of the welfare scandal: https://mississippitoday.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plus: A sweep with massive implications means there is a new presumptive champ in the NL East. And everyone’s new favorite college football team resides in Lawrence.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A little over a month ago, on August 28th, it seemed like a normal morning at the headquarters of Eastern Kentucky football. The season opener was five days away. A team staffer was restocking the coach’s refrigerator. And inside his office, that coach — Walt Wells — was dropping to the floor, having a heart attack. Today, Richard Johnson from Sports Illustrated tells the story of how Wells almost died that morning in August, the staffers who rushed to the scene to keep him alive, and the fight the coach faced even after he was in the hospital. Read Richard Johnson’s full story about Walt Wells: https://www.si.com/college/2022/09/21/eastern-kentucky-coach-walt-wells-football-survives-daily-cover See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This past weekend, Roger Federer played his final match as a professional tennis player, teaming up with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a mostly ceremonial doubles match at the Laver Cup. And, after the match (which they narrowly lost to Americans Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock), Federer was honored with a ceremony that brought him to tears. Now, with Federer's legendary career officially in the books, we’re joined by Christopher Clarey of the New York Times to discuss how the Swiss icon became arguably the most beloved men’s tennis player of all time, what comes next in his career, and how he’ll be remembered in tennis history. You can find more of Christopher Clarey's tennis coverage here, and check out his book about Roger Federer here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plus: Shady injury reports, butt punts, and more in an AFC East showdown to remember. And MLB’s youngest team is contending way earlier than anyone expected. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Eagles ran their record to 2-0 with a convincing win over the Vikings on Monday Night Football, and a big reason why was an electric performance from Jalen Hurts. Today, The Athletic’s Zach Berman tells us about Hurts’s evolution from second-round pick that a lot of people doubted, to now becoming one of the NFL’s most dynamic young quarterbacks — and the centerpiece of an NFC contender. Plus, the Internet meme that might tell us everything we need to know about why Hurts is the right guy for the spotlight in Philadelphia.Follow Zach Berman’s coverage of the Eagles: https://theathletic.com/author/zach-berman/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Sunday night, the Las Vegas Aces brought home the WNBA championship – the first in the franchise's 26-year history, and the first major pro sports title for the city of Las Vegas. And the only thing more entertaining than the series might have been the post-game press conference, which included A'ja Wilson telling fans they had to do at least four shots before the championship parade, and Kelsey Plum interrupting questions by dancing with a boom box. Today, Kris Rhim of the New York Times explains how the Aces have gone from a team that has long had all the fun, but often fell short in the playoffs, to a team that became unstoppable -- and the role that first-year head coach Becky Hammon played in that transformation.More from Kris Rhim: https://www.nytimes.com/by/kris-rhimSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plus: The Aces bring home the first title ever for Las Vegas. And Aaron Judge closes in history - and a potential triple crown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.