The Lead

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney wants his players to talk about themselves and their backgrounds, so he created something called "the safe seat." It's part of a broader effort to address mental health issues among his players. It can be especially hard for college athletes to talk about mental health. And even though colleges are increasingly aware of the challenges, not every player gets the help they need. The Athletic’s Armen Keteyian joins us to talk about his video series on mental health in college athletics and the stories of two high-profile college football players, one who got the help he needed and one who didn't.You can watch Armen’s video series on college athletes and mental health here:https://theathletic.com/video/9-over-the-edge/?source=theleadpodcastTo hear about some of the greatest rivalries in sports, including college football, check out "Sports Wars": https://wondery.com/shows/sports-wars/If you need to talk to someone, you can call the The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? It turns out a women’s college basketball team planted the seeds for the viral internet trend that took over the Internet in 2014. The Athletic’s Steve Buckley joins us to talk about how it all happened and how three men with Lou Gehrig’s Disease inspired millions of people to transform a silly internet trend into millions of dollars for ALS research and awareness.You can find Steve Buckley’s oral history of the Ice Bucket Challenge on the Athletic here: https://theathletic.com/1050538/2019/07/10/tell-every-person-you-know-five-years-later-the-oral-history-of-how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-spread/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown is facing accusations of rape and sexual assault. Brown made his debut with the New England Patriots on Sunday after a tumultuous offseason. We talk with The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones about the Antonio Brown saga and the NFL’s history of handling players accused of violence against women.Read The Athletic's coverage on what might come next for Antonio Brown:https://theathletic.com/1217495/2019/09/17/will-this-be-the-week-that-antonio-brown-is-placed-on-the-commissioners-exempt-list/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was another bad call. The LA Rams and New Orleans Saints met again yesterday, for the first time since last season’s NFC Championship game, when the Saints lost after one of the worst calls in sports history. That call sparked rule changes, protests, lawsuits and even a passionate speech from a U.S. Senator in Washington. The Athletic’s Larry Holder joins us to talk about Saints fans’ epic quest for justice after last season’s loss, and we hear fan reactions to yesterday’s heartbreaking game.For more from Larry Holder, check out how another officiating blunder and Drew Brees’ injury derailed the Saints in Sunday’s rematch.https://theathletic.com/1214063/2019/09/15/drew-brees-injury-another-officiating-blunder-how-the-unthinkable-derailed-the-saints-in-los-angeles/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The award-winning sports show from Wondery, known for delivering the best storytelling in sports. Every Wednesday and Friday, co-hosts Tiffany Oshinsky and Anders Kelto dive into the biggest and most fascinating sports stories of the day, as told by the reporters who cover them up close. The Lead cuts through the chatter and brings you in-depth reporting and emotional stories, to help make sense of the complicated sports landscape. New episodes every Wednesday and Friday.All episodes are available ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. Join Wondery+ here: https://wondery.app.link/theleadSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.