The Lead

We’re moving into the homestretch of the NHL regular season, which means the greatest postseason of them all – the NHL playoffs – are just a few weeks away. Today, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek gives us an early look at the NHL playoff picture, explains which teams made smart moves at the trade deadline, and states, with impressive confidence, which teams will meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.More from Eric Duhatschek:https://theathletic.com/author/eric-duhatschek/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Toronto Blue Jays got an MVP-caliber campaign from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2021, but the team came up just short of the playoffs on the final day of the season. Today, The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath tells us how the Jays responded after the disappointment of missing out, and how they’ve rebuilt their roster after the losses of Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien to set the bar even higher in 2022. Also on this episode: how Canada’s vaccine rules are impacting the Jays, and their rivals, and what to expect when Rogers Centre has a full house for the first time since 2019. Follow Kaitlyn McGrath’s coverage of the Blue Jays: https://theathletic.com/author/kaitlyn-mcgrath/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It has already been an unbelievable ride for the Iowa State Cyclones, a No. 11 seed that has made a run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Today, The Athletic’s Jesse Temple tells us how this team — led by first-year head coach T.J. Otzelberger — has pulled off an unthinkable turnaround, going from 2-22 a year ago to now sitting on the verge of the Elite Eight. Plus, the role that the transfer portal has played in Iowa State’s surprise success, and whether they can keep it going against Miami on Friday night. Read Jesse Temple’s full story about the Cyclones: https://theathletic.com/3203762/2022/03/23/how-iowa-state-went-from-2-22-afterthought-to-sweet-16-darling-im-pretty-sure-everybody-had-us-last-in-everything/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A year ago, Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince shamed the NCAA into a moment of reckoning. Her video about the "weight room" provided to women athletes in the NCAA tournament bubble stirred up a debate over discrepancies between the men's and women's tournaments, and turned Prince into an overnight celebrity. The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll caught up with Prince and her mother a year later, and she joins us today to explain how Prince's life was transformed by the video, how she is using her massive social media platform today, and how her actions influenced this year's tournament. Plus, Charlotte breaks down some of the more impressive performances we've seen in the first two rounds, and gives us her pick to win it all.Read Charlotte Carroll's full story about Sedona Prince:https://theathletic.com/3180730/2022/03/14/mom-i-did-a-thing-how-oregons-sedona-prince-found-her-strength-and-power/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The NFL offseason has had no shortage of storylines. Quarterbacks are playing musical chairs, big name free agents are on the move, and one of the best receivers in football was traded. Today The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones helps us make sense of it all by breaking down the controversial Deshaun Watson trade, Davante Adams’ move to Vegas, and Matt Ryan’s new start in Indy. Plus she reveals who she thinks will come out on top of the increasingly daunting AFC West.Read all of Lindsay Jones’ NFL coverage: https://theathletic.com/author/lindsay-jones/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve had a full day to recover from the opening two rounds of March Madness, four days that brought us cheerleader heroics, iconic mustaches, and some truly stunning performances — none more so than the Sweet 16 run of the St. Peter’s Peacocks. Today, The Athletic’s C.J. Moore — who has been on site covering the tournament in Texas — helps us try to make sense of all the chaos we’ve seen so far in the NCAA Tournament, and which teams now have the best shot to win it all. Follow C.J. Moore’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament and college basketball: https://theathletic.com/author/cj-moore/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At his introductory press conference a few weeks ago, American soccer coach Jesse Marsch brought up the fictional TV character that he knew he would be asked about: Ted Lasso. It was Marsch's way of addressing the elephant in the room -- the fact that he, an American, had been selected to lead one of the most historic clubs in English football, and to try and rescue their season. Now, with four games under his belt, it appears that Marsch just might be working some Ted Lasso-esque magic in Leeds. The Athletic's Phil Hay joins us to discuss why the club selected Marsch to succeed club legend Marcelo Bielsa, and what we've learned from his -- and the team's -- performance so far.More from Phil Hay: https://theathletic.com/author/phil-hay/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thanks to the Netflix, the hottest sport in America right now might just be Formula 1. The series has brought international auto racing to a whole new audience and its popularity just keeps growing. So with the F1 season set to kick off this weekend, The Athletic’s Matt Slater joins us to talk about what makes 'Drive To Survive' so compelling, what the series has done to help the sport reach new audiences, and whether this new wave of sports docs is actually a good thing.Read Matt Slater’s Story About 'Drive To Survive': https://theathletic.com/3003362/2021/12/12/drive-to-survive-the-f1-documentary-that-has-changed-a-sport/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Major League Baseball Opening Day is just three weeks away, and we’ve seen a wave of significant deals as teams scramble to put together their rosters. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Stephen Nesbitt to break down some of those key moves — including the World Series champion Braves’ acquisition of Matt Olson, and the big waves made by the Mariners, Mets and others — as we fly toward the start of the season. Plus, with Kris Bryant signing with the Rockies on Wednesday, what’s next for unsigned free agents Carlos Correa and Trevor Story? (Also: With the news breaking very early on Thursday that Freddie Freeman is signing with the Dodgers, Stephen tells us just how dangerous L.A.'s roster could be.)Follow Stephen Nesbitt’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/stephen-j-nesbitt/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Zion Williamson came to town nearly three years ago, he was the hero that New Orleans Pelicans fans needed -- a Southern superstar who could pick up the pieces that Anthony Davis left behind. Fans welcomed him with open arms and a literal jazz ensemble. Now, after three injury-plagued seasons, more than 120 games missed, long periods of silence from Zion, and questions about his level of commitment to the team, does the city feel differently about its messiah? The Athletic's Will Guillory, a native New Orleanian, explains.More from Will Guillory:https://theathletic.com/3145326/2022/02/23/guillory-if-zion-williamson-wants-the-noise-to-stop-his-actions-need-to-start-matching-his-words/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.