The Lead

It's been an eventful few days for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Thursday it was revealed that MLB was inspecting baseballs used by the team's new star pitcher, Trevor Bauer, in a game against the Oakland A's -- and that the balls had visible markings and were sticky, according to an exclusive report from The Athletic. The following day, the team played its home opener in Dodger Stadium, in front of thousands fans (for the first time in more than a year), and hoisted its 2020 World Series championship banner. The Athletic's Molly Knight joins us to break down the Dodgers' up-and-down start to the 2021 season, why players from a former dynasty think the Dodgers will repeat as champions, and the dilemma that Major League Baseball faces as it tries to rein in the widespread use of sticky substances.More from Molly Knight:https://theathletic.com/author/molly-knight/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve been near a screen in the last six months or so, there’s a pretty decent chance you’ve heard the terms NBA Top Shot and NFT, which have star athletes ranging from Rob Gronkowski to Patrick Mahomes to Bryson DeChambeau getting in on the action. Today, The Athletic’s Bill Shea explains exactly what NBA Top Shot and NFTs are, why pro sports leagues are supporting them, and whether the whole thing — like Beanie Babies — is a bubble.Read Bill Shea’s story about NBA Top Shot and NFTs: https://theathletic.com/2484646/2021/03/30/bitcoin-crypto-nfts-ethereum-sports-business/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

By 1989, the Chicago White Sox knew they needed to refresh their image. The team had struggled for years and became known for their constantly changing uniforms. Then, thanks to some savvy marketing and a team of high-profile stars, the South Siders managed to create a brand that has survived the test of time. Today, The Athletic's Jon Greenberg joins us to talk about why the White Sox logo resonates across the hip hop community and how the team's current crop young stars are bringing some of that swagger back to baseball.Read Jon Greenberg's story about the White Sox logo change here: https://theathletic.com/2482781/2021/03/31/look-good-play-good-tim-anderson-and-the-white-sox-are-ready-to-take-over-every-bit-of-the-baseball-world/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Friday, many people were caught off guard by Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to move the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game out of Georgia, in response to the state's controversial new voting law and growing public pressure. And on Tuesday, MLB announced that the game would instead be held in Colorado. Amidst all the noise and political posturing surrounding the decision, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich joins us to break down what actually drove Manfred's decision to move the game, and what it reveals about the state of Major League Baseball.More from Evan Drellich:https://theathletic.com/author/evan-drellich/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Brandon Staley first spoke to the media as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year, he went out of his way to give credit to his parents. As it turns out, Staley’s commitment to his family — and to his twin brother Jason — led to an unlikely connection that helped spark his career as a coach. Today, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper joins us to tell that story, and to look at the family ownership drama that’s currently surrounding the Chargers. Read Daniel Popper’s full story about Brandon Staley: https://theathletic.com/2437569/2021/03/23/a-brothers-promise-and-the-d-ii-season-that-led-brandon-staley-to-the-chargers/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Stanford Cardinal and head coach Tara VanDerveer captured their first women's basketball national championship in twenty-nine years on Sunday, narrowly beating out Arizona. The Athletic's Chantel Jennings joins us to break down both teams's remarkable journey just to get to the title game, why Stanford managed to persevere, and how Arizona’s 5-foot-6 superstar Aari McDonald came up just short on her last-second shot. Plus, what comes next for the NCAA after the embarrassing scandal that plagued the women's tournament.More from Chantel Jennings: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.

The Final Four is here, and Gonzaga is poised to make history. The Zags are set to be the first men's team to go undefeated for an entire season since the Indiana Hoosiers pulled off the feat in 1976. So the question is: Who can stop Mark Few's team from making history? Today, The Athletic's Brian Hamilton joins us to talk about Gonzaga's quest for immortality, UCLA's cinderella run, Houston's tough as gravel mentality, and the Baylor Bears' dynamic backcourt. Read Brian Hamilton's college basketball coverage here: https://theathletic.com/author/brian-hamilton/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a strange and abbreviated 60-game season in 2020, it’s finally time for Major League Baseball’s 2021 Opening Day — which is happening right on time. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli to look at some of the story lines that will define the 2021 season, including the Yankees borrowing a page from the NBA to manage their injury problems, huge expectations for Shohei Ohtani, and a Dodgers-Padres rivalry that is already getting heated. Follow Brittany Ghiroli’s coverage of Major League Baseball: https://theathletic.com/author/brittany-ghiroli/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Minnesota Timberwolves executive John Thomas grew up just a few blocks away from the convenience store where George Floyd was killed. Since that tragic incident, which inspired a national reckoning and global movement, Thomas has been on a mission to build bridges and inspire change in his old neighborhood in South Minneapolis. The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski recently took a stroll through the area with Thomas to learn what his life growing up there was like, and how he is striving to give back to the community that lifted him up and helped him achieve his basketball dreams.Read Jon Krawczynski's story about John Thomas:https://theathletic.com/2390979/2021/03/26/ahead-of-the-george-floyd-trial-a-quest-for-restoration-by-former-nba-player-john-thomas/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 this season, the Dallas Mavericks have been a difficult team to figure out, and on the surface they looked like one of the league’s biggest disappointments during an 8-13 start. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Tim Cato to go behind the scenes of their roller coaster campaign, breaking down all the hurdles that Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and the Mavs had to clear, and why this team is finally starting to live up to expectations. Read Tim Cato’s story about the Mavs’ turnaround: https://theathletic.com/2459997/2021/03/18/cato-the-dallas-mavericks-at-last-are-the-team-so-many-expected-them-to-be/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.