The Lead

Cale Makar and Bowen Byram have a lot in common. Both are young, extremely talented defensemen for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, both are former #4 overall picks, and both hope to have long and successful hockey careers. But so far, the two have followed very different paths, with Makar ascending to superstardom and Byram struggling with the aftermath of multiple concussions. Today, Peter Baugh, who covers the Avalanche for The Athletic, joins us to discuss their parallel stories, just how much potential they have, and what stands between each of them and greatness.More from Peter Baugh:https://theathletic.com/2949474/2021/11/17/dizzy-foggy-and-feeling-like-i-was-a-corpse-inside-bowen-byrams-harrowing-first-year-with-the-avalanche/https://theathletic.com/2995332/2021/12/04/can-the-avalanches-cale-makar-become-the-first-defenseman-to-score-30-goals-since-2009-the-sky-is-the-limit/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been a wild week for Notre Dame football: The winningest coach in program history abruptly left for another job, then the school named his successor just a few days later, and on Sunday the Irish narrowly missed out on a College Football Playoff berth. Today, The Athletic's Pete Sampson joins us to talk about Brian Kelly's fateful final 24 hours in South Bend, what his exit to LSU reveals about the state of college football, and what comes next for the team he left behind.Read Pete Sampson's story about Brian Kelly's final 24 hours with Notre Dame: https://theathletic.com/2990740/2021/12/01/inside-the-24-hours-that-rocked-notre-dame-football-and-where-the-irish-go-from-here-without-brian-kelly/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So far this season, Brooklyn Nets fans have gotten used to the sight of LaMarcus Aldridge knocking down mid-range jumpers, which he’s done at a higher percentage than any other player in the NBA. However, it wasn’t all that long ago that it appeared the big man’s career was over after a scary April night brought on by a heart issue. Today, The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer tells the story of Aldridge’s journey into retirement and back, and why he ultimately decided he had more basketball left at age 36. https://theathletic.com/2982101/2021/11/29/he-looks-amazing-how-lamarcus-aldridge-went-from-retired-to-nets-x-factor/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Manchester United turned some heads last week when it announced that Ralf Rangnick, an influential German coach and sporting director, will serve as its interim manager until the end of the season. Today, The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein tells us about the man known as 'The Godfather of German coaching,' how he changed the definition of what a soccer coach could be in his native country, and why Manchester United believes he is the right man for the job. But will Rangnick’s hands-on, high-pressure approach mesh with United’s roster of international superstars, including 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo?More from Raphael Honigstein:https://theathletic.com/author/raphael-honigstein/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For many people, the best wide receiver in the NFL is Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams. But the former Fresno State standout's rise to superstardom from the gritty streets of his hometown in East Palo Alto was anything but easy. Today, The Athletic's Matt Schneidman joins us to talk about the special relationship that helped Adams stay on the right path growing up and how he overcame a difficult start to his pro career to become one of the most unstoppable wideouts in football.Read Matt Schneidman's story about Davante Adams: https://theathletic.com/2966335/2021/11/23/davante-adams-journey-from-sleeping-on-couch-to-top-of-nfl-had-its-bumps/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The clock is ticking for Major League Baseball, with a potential lockout on the horizon this week, as the collective bargaining agreement is set to expire at 11:59pm ET on Wednesday. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Evan Drellich to look at why the players and owners are once again at a bitter impasse, and the no-nonsense negotiator for the players, Bruce Meyer, who should have a major say in how things play out. Read Evan Drellich’s full story about Bruce Meyer and the MLB negotiations: https://theathletic.com/2981810/2021/11/28/mlb-players-want-change-and-bruce-meyer-is-fighting-to-deliver-it-the-other-side-is-not-going-to-be-happy-with-me/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For much of their existence, the Florida Panthers have been, frankly, one of the worst teams in the NHL. But over the last few years, the Panthers have become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The Athletic's Michael Russo covered the Panthers for more than a decade, and he joins us today to explain what's behind their record-setting start to the 2021-22 season and why, after legendary head coach Joel Quenneville was forced to resign earlier this year (in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault investigation), the Panthers have turned to a beloved assistant coach to lead them.More from Michael Russo:https://theathletic.com/author/michael-russo/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government did something that it later apologized for and called a grave error: it rounded up and forcibly relocated tens of thousands of Japanese Americans, moving them to internment camps where they lived in extremely harsh conditions for years. Inside one of those camps, near Topaz, Utah, a high school football team was formed and surprised many of the local teams it played against. The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani brings us the story of Topaz High, where a group of high school kids used America's most beloved sport to show that they, too, were Americans. (This episode originally aired on November 6, 2020.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this Thanksgiving holiday, we're replaying an episode that first aired this summer, just before the start of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. It's the inspiring story of 24 year-old American swimming phenom Morgan Stickney, who has faced a mind-boggling series of medical challenges during her career, but has somehow come out on the other side -- baffling doctors and inspiring many people along the way.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're just a few weeks into the women's college basketball season and there's already plenty to talk about. The top two teams in the country have already faced off, star players are taking their games to a new level, and rising contenders are already upsetting some of the traditional powers. Today, The Athletic's Chantel Jennings fills us in on some of the season's biggest and most intriguing storylines to date.Read all of Chantel Jennings' college basketball coverage: https://theathletic.com/author/chantel-jennings/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.