The Lead

A joint investigation from The Athletic and WVUE-TV in New Orleans reveals why a football stadium that was supposed to be built in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward still has not been completed. The project was intended to be a symbol of recovery after Hurricane Katrina. A decade later, there’s still no field and less than $900 remains in the organization's bank account. In Part Two of the story, we explore what transpired after the project’s creator and lead architect stepped away, and what happened to the nearly one million dollars that went missing.Part two of a special two-part investigation.https://theathletic.com/1244948/2019/10/01/what-happened-to-new-orleans-field-of-dreams-and-its-1-million-in-donations/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A joint investigation from The Athletic and WVUE-TV in New Orleans reveals why a high school football stadium that was supposed to be a symbol of recovery after Hurricane Katrina was never completed. Celebrity athletes like Drew Brees and Saints head coach Sean Payton helped provide funding. The project captured the attention of President Obama, Anderson Cooper and news outlets across the country. But a decade later, there’s still no field -- and a million dollars is missing.Part one of a special two-part investigation.Read the full story on The Athletic:https://theathletic.com/1244948/2019/10/01/what-happened-to-new-orleans-field-of-dreams-and-its-1-million-in-donations/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We interview Governor Gavin Newsom about the bill he signed into law that will allow college athletes in California to be paid for the use of their name and likeness. We ask him why he signed the bill, what impact he thinks it will have, and why he agrees with the President of the NCAA that the new law is an “existential threat” to the status quo for college athletes.Additional Reading:https://theathletic.com/1255043/2019/09/30/the-athletic-roundtable-the-fair-pay-to-play-act-has-passed-in-california-what-now-for-college-athletics/?source=theleadpodcasthttps://theathletic.com/1245743/2019/09/27/mandel-california-bill-is-not-the-existential-threat-ncaa-says-it-is/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The MLB Wild Card games are set. After a 162-game season, four teams will meet this week in do-or-die matchups to determine who will advance and who will go home. This year's Wild Card games feature two teams that have made the playoffs despite having some of the lowest payrolls in baseball (the A's and Rays), and two teams with remarkable comeback stories (the Brewers and Nationals). We speak with The Athletic's Jayson Stark about these matchups and about how this bizarre one-game system came to be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A heart attack scare, a badly broken arm, and the loss of a franchise player were not enough to keep the Washington Nationals from clinching a wild card berth this season. The Nats became just the third team in more than 30 years to make the playoffs after being 12 games below .500. The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli joins us to talk about how they pulled off their incredible turnaround -- and danced a lot along the way.Read Brittany Ghiroli’s behind-the-scenes story on the wild 36-hours behind the Nats playoff-clinching series:https://theathletic.com/1237960/2019/09/25/a-wild-36-hours-behind-the-scenes-of-the-nationals-playoff-clinching-series/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Michigan Wolverines were blown out last Saturday by Wisconsin. It was the latest loss by Jim Harbaugh to a ranked opponent. Since then, questions have swirled about Harbaugh's future with the Wolverines. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner joins us to talk about Harbaugh’s journey from Ann Arbor kid to "Michigan Man," and whether or not his job is actually in jeopardy.Read Nick Baumgardner’s latest piece on Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines:https://theathletic.com/1229820/2019/09/21/jim-harbaughs-michigan-program-has-an-identity-its-just-not-the-one-you-hoped-for/?source=theleadpodcastGet more college football by listening to The Solid Verbal podcast here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently competing for a Wild Card spot as the baseball season enters its final days. But despite a successful season on the field the team is struggling to get fans into the stands. Attendance has been so dismal that team ownership is considering splitting home games between Florida and Montreal and even moving the team altogether. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark joins us to talk about the dynamics between the city, the franchise and a fan base that just doesn’t show up, even as the team is winning.You can read Jayson Stark’s article on the future of the Tampa Bay Ray’s here: https://theathletic.com/990608/2019/05/23/stark-is-there-hope-for-the-rays-in-tampa-bay/?source=theleadpodcastAnd hear Jayson Stark talking with Dan Rubenstein on "Sports Wars":https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1000451154602/id1478448344?i=1000451154602Go here to listen to Jayson Stark’s baseball podcast, “Starkville”:https://theathletic.com/podcast/25-starkville/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shaquille O’Neal’s was one of the most dominant centers to ever play in the NBA. And now, he wants his post basketball life to mirror his days on the court. Through business investments, strict social media rules and always listening to his mother Shaq is on a mission to become the richest retired basketball player on the planet. The Athletic’s Armen Keteyian joins us to talk about his exclusive interview with The Big Aristotle.You can watch Armen’s video “Big Man, Big Brand” here: https://theathletic.com/video/20-shaq?source=theleadpodcastAnd to listen to a podcast series about the rivalry between Shaq and Kobe, check out “Sports Wars”: https://wondery.com/shows/sports-wars/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Antonio Brown spent just 11 days with the New England Patriots before they released him amid accusations of rape and sexual assault. With so much controversy swirling around the All-Pro receiver, what was the final straw? We look at the history of the Patriots taking on risky players and analyze the famous “Patriot Way.”In her column, Lindsay Jones says if Antonio Brown never plays in the NFL again, it’s entirely his fault:https://theathletic.com/1231786/2019/09/22/jones-antonio-brown-is-the-only-one-to-blame-for-nfl-downfall/?source=theleadpodcastTo learn more about "The Patriot Way," listen to the award-winning 6-part investigative podcast "Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.": https://wondery.com/shows/gladiator/Go here to listen to Lindsay Jones and Amy Parlapiano’s NFL Power Rankings podcast:https://theathletic.com/podcast/70-nfl-power-rankings/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 A reporter goes undercover to try out for a G League Basketball team, and let’s just say it does not go well. The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf recounts his hilarious experience trying out for the Texas Legends, a developmental affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.And The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson reflects on the remarkable career of Shaun Livingston, who overcame a catastrophic knee injury and won three NBA championships. Livingston retired last week.What’s an NBA G League tryout like? I tried out (undercover) for the Texas Legends to find outhttps://theathletic.com/1216654/2019/09/17/whats-an-nba-g-league-tryout-like-i-tried-out-undercover-for-the-texas-legends-to-find-out/?source=theleadpodcastRobbed of stardom, Shaun Livingston created something more profoundhttps://theathletic.com/1209989/2019/09/13/thompson-robbed-of-stardom-shaun-livingston-created-something-more-profound/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.