The Lead

U.S. track and field legend Allyson Felix is on the way to her fifth Olympic Games after qualifying for the 400 meter and the 4 x 400 meter relay. She and her 2-year-old daughter Camryn also stole the show (and kinda broke the Internet) at the Olympic Trials last month with an incredible display of cuteness after the race. The Athletic's Kavitha Davidson -- our very own former co-host! -- recently spoke with Felix about her incredible journey to qualifying for the Tokyo Games, and how her high-profile falling out with Nike two years ago transformed her from a quiet, eyes-on-the-prize runner to an advocate for mothers -- and now a businesswoman who says her new shoe company aims to do things differently.Read Kavitha Davidson's full story about Allyson Felix:https://theathletic.com/2702778/2021/07/13/i-hope-that-women-just-realize-their-worth-allyson-felix-bolstering-her-legend-status-by-fighting-for-mothers/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Men's National Basketball team has won four straight gold medals and looked pretty much unbeatable since 2004. That is, until recently. In the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Americans lost back to back games against Australia and Nigeria, and raised doubts over whether this team has what it takes to continue the streak of basketball dominance that the U.S. men's team has enjoyed for nearly two decades. The Athletic's Joe Vardon is embedded with the squad as they prepare for the Games. Today, we asked him whether fans should be worried about the teams prospects going forward or if this is just the growing pains of a hastily assembled squad.Follow Joe Vardon's coverage of Team USA here: https://theathletic.com/author/joe-vardon/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2021 NFL offseason has delivered a lot of surprising decisions, from the Bears moving up to draft Justin Fields to the Falcons moving on from franchise legend Julio Jones to the Raiders completely remaking their offensive line (for reasons that aren't entirely clear). Today, The Athletic’s Robert Mays joins us to break down some of the best, worst and most notable decisions of the NFL offseason — including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bringing back all 22 starters from their Super Bowl-winning team — and what it all means for the season that’s ahead.Follow Robert Mays’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/robert-mays/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For weeks, Japanese citizens have been holding protests about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and saying that Japan should not be hosting the Games in the midst of a worsening coronavirus pandemic. A recent poll showed that 80 percent of the public opposes holding the Olympics, and medical experts have warned that the Games could be a super-spreader event that will further strain the country's health care system. Now the government has declared a state of emergency, meaning many businesses are closing their doors, a move that has further enraged many business owners. So, with public opinion so squarely against them, why has the Japanese government continued to insist that the Olympic Games must go on? Anthony Kuhn, NPR's international correspondent in Seoul, joins us to explain why the government's position is about more than the bottom line.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Paul is not everyone's cup of tea. During the course of his career, the diminutive point guard has often rubbed teammates the wrong way during his career and that became an easy knock against one of the greatest players of his generation who never made an NBA Finals. Over the past few seasons, Paul has seemed to turn over a new leaf, and in Phoenix he's found a group of teammates who want to listen to the 16-year-veteran. The Athletic's Jovan Buha has been reporting on the Suns during their magical playoff run. He joined the show to talk about how Paul's leadership has matured since his early days in New Orleans and why this new approach has been so effective in The Valley. Read Jovan Buha's story about Chris Paul's leadership: https://theathletic.com/2690467/2021/07/06/chris-pauls-leadership-has-evolved-with-suns-its-only-leadership-if-people-follow-you/ 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 has arrived at the All-Star break, and during the first half of the season, no player has put on a more amazing all-around show than Angels slugger/ace Shohei Ohtani. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Posnanski joins us to break down some of the season’s biggest story lines, including Ohtani’s superhuman feats, Jacob deGrom’s brilliance, the return to dominance of baseball’s most controversial team — the Houston Astros — and whether MLB is finally getting its sticky substance problem under control. Follow Joe Posnanski’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/joe-posnanski/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After more than 50 years of waiting, England fans saw their team reach the final of a major tournament on Wednesday after the Three Lions knocked off Denmark at Wembley Stadium. The soundtrack for this historic run is a song that debuted 25 years ago, the last time England hosted a European tournament, and produced a memorable slogan for English fans, 'It's Coming Home.' Today, The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke joins us to talk about the origins of the song that led to the chant, why it's so divisive among some fans and players, and what Gareth Southgate has brought to the national team setup to get them back to the mountaintop.Read Jack Pitt-Brooke's story about the origins of The Three Lions: https://theathletic.com/2689661/2021/07/07/its-coming-home-dream-boast-or-way-of-life/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two years ago, the Scripps National Spelling Bee had arguably the most dramatic -- and delightful -- ending in its nearly hundred-year history. After five rounds and forty-seven words spelled correctly, the judges threw in the towel and declared eight co-champions, much to the joy of the contestants and the millions who tuned in on television. So, now that the kids have bested the competition, the organizers have been forced to find a new way to challenge them. The Athletic’s Seth Davis recently took a break from the college hoops beat to write about Scripps' new rules this year (and people's opinions about them), a 14-year-old girl who is one of the favorites to win, and why the spelling bee is not what many people assume.Read Seth Davis's full story about the 2021 Scripps Spelling Bee:https://theathletic.com/2686719/2021/07/07/the-scripps-national-spelling-bee-is-approaching-its-reckoning-will-the-dictionary-strike-back/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heading into the 2021 MLB season, the NL West was supposed to be a showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. But for the first half of the year, the San Francisco Giants stole the show. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly to look at how this team of veterans (including Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria) has managed to exceed basically all expectations, and whether they are built to keep it going. Follow Andrew Baggarly’s coverage of the Giants: https://theathletic.com/author/andrew-baggarly/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in NHL history, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the #8 seed Columbus Blue Jackets (after compiling the best regular season record in league history). It was the latest in a series of playoff failures for the talented Bolts, and many people began wondering if they needed a new coach and a roster makeover to start winning in the playoffs. Now, the team is on the cusp of winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, with the same core group of players and head coach Jon Cooper still at the helm. The Athletic's Joe Smith joins us today to talk about the man who decided to stay the course, and how the organization seems to have built a championship culture in Tampa.More from Joe Smith:https://theathletic.com/author/joe-smith/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.