The Lead

The once untouchable Warriors are now the worst team in the NBA, with a 5-23 record. And the last man standing from the dynasty years, at least for now, is the notoriously intense Draymond Green. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater sat down with Draymond to talk about how he’s dealing with all this losing, how he's rehabilitating his offensive game, and growing up a bit in the process. Read Anthony Slater's story about the new Draymond:https://theathletic.com/1392188/2019/11/25/its-an-everyday-battle-to-let-go-of-that-will-to-win-draymond-greens-calm-approach-to-a-rare-losing-season/?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 a 2-year-old was hit in the head by a foul ball back in May during a Cubs-Astros game, pressure began mounting on Major League Baseball to make stadiums safer for fans. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, who was at that game, joins us to talk about the incident, last week's announcement that MLB teams will be expanding protective netting, and how this new development might affect players and fans.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Heisman Trophy Award ceremony is Saturday, and LSU's Joe Burrow is virtually certain to win. The Athletic's Jon Greenberg went to Burrow's hometown of Athens, Ohio and interviewed his family, friends, and former coaches to learn about the star QB's past and to see how people there have been following his success. Read Jon Greenberg's story about Joe Burrow's legacy in Athens, Ohio: https://theathletic.com/1420714/2019/12/05/i-played-against-joe-freaking-burrow-how-lsus-heisman-favorite-built-his-legend-in-southeast-ohio/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Longtime Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon are reportedly selling the team to billionaire hedge fund manager (and minority owner) Steve Cohen. Mets fans have long had a contentious relationship with the Wilpons, often criticizing them for mismanagement and not spending as much on free agents as their cross-town rivals the Yankees. The Athletic's Tim Britton joins us to talk about the sale and how it could shake up the organization.Read Tim Britton and Marc Carig's story on Steve Cohen's bid to buy the Mets:https://theathletic.com/1434004/2019/12/04/the-wilpons-are-negotiating-to-sell-the-mets-to-steve-cohen-what-does-it-mean-for-the-franchise/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bengals have accused the Patriots of filming their sideline ahead of Sunday’s matchup between the two teams. Meanwhile, the Patriots say the hired cameraman was just shooting B-roll of a team scout for a documentary film. The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins us to break down the accusations, the Patriots’ history of spying, and what the NFL might do next.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Fizdale became the latest in a long line of head coaches to be fired by the New York Knicks on Friday. After missing out on the number one draft pick and free agent targets Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this summer, the Knicks began the season with a sense of disappointment -- and then got off to a 4-18 start. Kavitha and The Athletic's Frank Isola break down Fizdale's short tenure, two decades of franchise dysfunction, and whether or not any coach can resuscitate the long-suffering Knicks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Ravens rattled off their ninth straight win on Sunday, defeating the Bills 24-17 and moving to first overall in the AFC. In the process, Lamar Jackson became just the second quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, and the 22-year-old is seen by many as the leading candidate for league MVP. The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia joins us to talk about how the Ravens gambled on Jackson in the off-season by rearranging their offense to suit his incredible rushing skills, and to discuss whether the Ravens’ success with a dual-threat QB will become a blueprint for other teams in the future.Read Sheil Kapadia's story about Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' new-look offense:https://theathletic.com/1432135/2019/12/05/i-play-lamar-jackson-ball-how-the-ravens-built-the-nfls-scariest-offense/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the world in June by knocking out heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden. Joshua is 6'6" and sculpted, with endorsement deals from Hugo Boss and Beats (among others), and the Brit was considered by many to be the next great heavyweight. Meanwhile, Ruiz was a relatively unknown Mexican-American with a noticeably pudgy build who grew up fighting in the street. Now, the two heavyweights meet again on Saturday in a highly anticipated rematch. The Athletic's Mike Coppinger is in Saudi Arabia for the fight and joins us to talk about what to expect and why Ruiz's first victory might not have been a fluke.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Pistons-Pacers brawl known as “Malice at the Palace” rocked the NBA fifteen years ago. Many people saw it as a low point for the league. The melee, which included flying beer bottles and fans getting punched in the face, forced the league to implement new rules in an attempt to recreate its image. With the Palace now being deconstructed, The Athletic’s Michael Lee joins us to look back at the infamous incident and to explain how the NBA bounced back from the bedlam to be bigger than ever.Read Michael Lee's story about "Malice":https://theathletic.com/1387698/2019/11/18/fifteen-years-after-the-malice-at-the-palace-how-the-nba-bounced-back-from-bedlam/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A massive, state-sponsored doping program was unearthed in Russia several years ago, leading to the country being banned from the 2018 Olympics. Last week, it was reported that Russia had violated the terms of its new oversight, by submitting bogus data to the World Anti-Doping Agency. There is now the possibility that Russia will be banned from international sports competitions for four years. Reporter Tariq Panja joins us to talk about this latest chapter in the Russian doping scandal and what the future might hold for Russia and its athletes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.