The Lead

It was another wild weekend in the NFL, with the Packers, Bucs, Bills and Chiefs all advancing to the Conference Championships. Lindsay Jones joins us to break down all the action, including howling winds, missed field goals, star quarterbacks suffering concussions, and backup QBs stepping up to make some heroic plays.More from Lindsay Jones:https://theathletic.com/author/lindsay-jones/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since Tommy Lasorda passed away last week at the age of 93, baseball fans have been remembering his life and legendary career as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, like the time he famously called on an injured Kirk Gibson to pinch-hit in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. We reached out to writers and editors from The Athletic and asked them to share their own memories of Lasorda — including the baseball moments they remember fondly, some of his well-documented flaws, and all the things that made him Tommy Lasorda. Read The Athletic’s collection of Tommy Lasorda stories: https://theathletic.com/2311016/2021/01/08/tommy-lasorda-memories/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Months of speculation have finally come to an end: James Harden will be joining the Brooklyn Nets. The Athletic's Sam Amick joins us to break down how all of the recent Harden drama has unfolded, including his erratic play recently, and the messy press conferences where Harden and his Rockets teammates spoke their minds. And we break down how Harden will will fit in with Nets superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (if he ever resurfaces) as well as head coach Steve Nash.More from Sam Amick:https://theathletic.com/author/sam-amick/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After being decimated by injuries and finishing at the bottom of the NBA last season, hopes were high for the Golden State Warriors coming into this year. But the feeling was that this team has a limited window to win another championship, with stars Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green not getting any younger. With Thompson now out with an achilles injury, could rookie James Wiseman be the missing piece of a championship puzzle? Or would they be better off trading the young star for someone who could help them win now? The Athletic's Anthony Slater joins us to discuss all of that, plus a look at how Wiseman has been developing so far in the pros.More from Anthony Slater:https://theathletic.com/2297714/2021/01/06/warriors-james-wiseman-penny-hardaway/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For a while, it looked like Ohio State might give Alabama a run for the money in the CFP National Championship game on Monday night. But then the Crimson Tide did what the Crimson Tide does -- they got some stops and continued pouring on the offense, eventually winning the game 52-24 and helping Nick Saban earn his record seventh national title. The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach joins us to break down the action, to discuss the incredible performance of wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and to reflect on the strangest college football season in recent memory.More from Nicole Auerbach: https://theathletic.com/author/nicole-auerbach/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 we had six NFL playoff games on the schedule, with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens getting revenge on the Titans, while the Bills and the Browns both picked up their first playoff wins since the 1990's. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Arif Hasan to break down some of the weekend’s biggest story lines and takeaways, including how the Browns engineered a win over the Steelers without their head coach — and what to expect when they take on Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.Follow Arif Hasan’s coverage of the NFL: https://theathletic.com/author/arif-hasan/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During the first half of this NFL season, there was almost no stopping Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and the Seattle Seahawks passing game. However, in the second half, it’s been a lot less #LetRussCook, and a lot more of Russ handing off, with the team grinding out wins on defense. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar to look at why Pete Carroll’s Seahawks have made such a dramatic shift in playing style, and how the whole thing is sitting with their franchise QB. Follow Michael-Shawn Dugar’s coverage of the Seahawks: https://theathletic.com/author/michael-shawn-dugar/?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 three straight years of incredible playoff disappointments (and arguably the worst no-call in NFL history), the New Orleans Saints might be facing their last real chance at a Super Bowl for some time. The Athletic's Larry Holder, who has been covering the team since Drew Brees' arrival 15 years ago, joins us to break down the story of the Saints' 2020 season so far, what to watch for in their first-round matchup with the Bears, and why so much is riding on this postseason run.More from Larry Holder:https://theathletic.com/author/larry-holder/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the last few weeks, Kevin Harlan has been hard at work calling NBA games for TNT, with one notable exception. Rather than call these games from the arena, he’s been doing play-by-play from his basement in Kansas. The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch recently got a virtual tour of Harlan’s underground broadcast studio, and today he joins us to break down the setup — and consider whether this is the future of televised sports. Read Richard Deitsch’s story about Kevin Harlan’s basement studio: https://theathletic.com/2290109/2020/12/29/kevin-harlan-basement-nba-broadcast-studio/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two weeks into the NBA season and things are already getting spicy. The Athletic’s Zach Harper joins us to look at three of the most interesting storylines thus far: the Suns’ possible playoff potential, the mercurial but perhaps too talkative Clippers, and the Milwaukee Bucks' quest to turn the page on their playoff struggles.More from Zach Harper:https://theathletic.com/author/zach-harper/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.