NFL Week 2 Recap with Ben Solak

This weekend marks the debut of The Unrivaled, an ambitious 3-on-3 women’s basketball league loaded with WNBA talent. This new venture has spared no expense to build their cutting edge venue in Miami. And thanks to a series of A-List investors, these athletes will have every amenity they could ever ask for. But what happens when these players finally take the court? Will the players buy in? And will the fans tune in? Or will we once again find ourselves writing an obituary for another upstart sports league? Today, Kendra Andrews joins us to break down how The Unrivaled could surprise us all and why it just might be what the WNBA offseason needs. And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL playoffs are underway, and aside from tonight’s Monday Night Football clash between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, we know who is moving on. But before next week’s divisional round matchups suck up all of the air in the room, ESPN sports analytics writer Seth Walder and Ben Solak breakdown how the winners punched their tickets to the next round. Before previewing tonight’s super wild card finale. And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL playoffs are set to begin tomorrow. 14 teams still have a chance at lifting the Lombardi Trophy in a few weeks, some with better odds than others. But it all starts with the Wild Card round. Six games over three days to determine who will move on. So before the action kicks off our old friend Mina Kimes breaks down each matchup with host Michele Steele to make sure that you know everything you need ahead of all of the games. And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New Year’s Day’s Peach Bowl brought us an all-time classic, as Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo grew his legend, helping the Sun Devils to storm back in the 4th quarter, only to fall short against Texas in double-overtime. Beyond that, there hasn't been much drama in this inaugural twelve team College Football Playoff.   But with two compelling matchups Thursday and Friday, that may be about to change. Spencer Hall joins guest host Michele Steele to explain why Ohio State v. Texas could be more competitive than you may think, why they’re even more excited for Penn State’s showdown with Notre Dame, and how this playoff is setting the stage for every playoff to come. Check out Spencer’s newsletter, Channel 6, and his podcast, Shutdown Fullcast.  And don’t forget the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024.  Capital One Orange Bowl Penn State Nittany Lions Notre Dame Fighting Irish Thursday, Jan 9 | 7:30 ET | ESPN Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Texas Longhorns Ohio State Buckeyes Friday, Jan 10 | 7:30 ET | ESPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s no secret that times are hard for fans of Chicago sports. The White Sox, Cubs, Bulls, and Bears are all in the midst of middling, or worse, performance in recent years. And the same is true of the team that used to be the reliable winner, the Blackhawks. When they drafted generational prospect Connor Bedard first overall in the 2023 NHL draft, the future appeared to be bright. An idea seemingly confirmed when Bedard brought home the Calder Memorial Trophy - the NHL’s rookie of the year award - in his first season on the ice. But year two has only added more angst to the situation. Bedard suffered through a sophomore slump to start the season, and Chicago is at the bottom of the standings in the NHL. So today, ESPN senior hockey reporter, Emily Kaplan tells Michele Steele, during an in person conversation, what the problem has been with Bedard and the Blackhawks in year two. Check out the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year the NBA Draft produces a crop of rookies that are full of expectations. And some are stamped with labels like “can’t miss” or “generational”. But where their careers go from there aren’t always inline with the guarantees they come into the league with. So today we talk with veteran NBA reporters Tim MacMahon and Michael Wright about two of the most recent prospects to have been deemed “can't miss”. Players who appear to be at crossroads in their careers – but heading in opposite directions. First, there’s Zion Williamson, the phenom prodigy from Duke, who can’t seem to stay on the court. And then there’s Victor Wembanyama, the wunderkind from France that seems to be living up to all the hype. And while these two former No. 1 draft picks still have plenty of basketball left, the final verdict on their legacies is yet to be determined. Check out the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The NFL regular season has come to a close. And the league saved the best for last, with the hunt for the NFC’s one seed coming down to a Sunday night matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. So with all of the byes determined, and playoff pairings set - Ben Solak and Michele Steele explore how the 14 playoff teams locked down their spots, and what the offseason holds in store for those who didn’t make it. Check out the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we settle into the new year, the phrase “deer in headlights” feels like an apt description for the state many members of “sports Twitter” currently find themselves in. More than two years after Elon Musk took over Twitter, now known as X, the platform has become an increasingly unpleasant space for sports conversations. While many users have already migrated to other platforms like Threads and Bluesky, plenty more are staying put—unhappy with the current state of affairs but reluctant to abandon the communities they’ve carefully curated and built. Today, we’re joined by three guests who have been notable contributors to the sports Twitter community for more than a decade. TJ Adeshola (X, Instagram) formerly oversaw sports partnerships at Twitter, Reeta Hubbard, aka “The NFL Chick” (Bluesky, X), is a longtime sports commentator currently hosting Gridiron Gals, and Jason Concepcion (Bluesky, Instagram, X) is the Emmy-winning host of Six Trophies. They spoke with David Dennis Jr. to reflect on the glory days of sports Twitter, explore how and why it took a turn for the worse, and discuss where the community goes from here. Check out the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sports world is transforming in 2025, with new rule changes, new playoffs formats, and many other innovations across the landscape. So we brought on some of our favorite regular guests — Katie Barnes, Bill Barnwell, Elle Duncan, Luis Miguel Echegaray, Andreas Hale, Ryan McGee, Jeff Passan — and Clinton Yates, who will be back in the host’s chair later this month, to tell us not only what they’re most excited to cover in 2025, but also what they’re most excited to watch as fans.  Plus, guest hosts Michele Steele and David Dennis, Jr. share their hot takes for the year and our team of ESPN Daily producers reveal what they’re most looking forward to covering on the show. Check out this playlist featuring our favorite stories of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 26th, 2024, the Athletics played their final game ever in Oakland, the city they’ve called home for 57 years. As friend of the show Jeff Passan wrote, baseball in the East Bay was “killed by greed… John Fisher did not have to move this team… This was a choice. A wrong one. History will sneer.”  For the conclusion of our Death of a Sports Town series, we trekked to the Oakland Coliseum and bore witness to the sights, sounds, and emotions of a city’s last gasp as a big time pro sports town.  It was a poignant and passionate display from a vibrant and rich fanbase, defiant to the very end. Today, we share that experience with you.  Check out the playlist, featuring our favorite stories of 2024.  Death of a Sports Town Episodes: Apple Podcasts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4 Spotify: All episodes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices