ESPN Daily

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed 34 years ago, leading to a significant rise in awareness, inclusion, and accommodation for people with disabilities across the country.  But all these years later, many needs remain unmet by stadiums and arenas nationwide. And the challenges faced by tens of millions of Americans with invisible disabilities are often under-appreciated and misunderstood. Today, Sam Borden helps us bridge the gap, taking us inside his expansive project on these unseen challenges, and revealing what we risk losing when we overlook them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL season is only one week away and while quarterbacks and Fantasy Football starting lineups are dominating everyone’s mind, there are hidden game breakers through the league that just might get overlooked. From the tight ends in Buffalo, to the defensive backs in K.C., to the man replacing future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce, these games will be decided from just about every spot on the roster. Not to mention the coaches, whose game planning and the play calling are often the razor-thin difference between playing in January and taking an early vacation. So today, ESPN’s newest NFL expert Ben Solak breaks down who he thinks could be true influencers this season from the field to the sidelines. difference makers for a lot of contenders in this league. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard of the 12th man before, but probably didn’t know that it originated at Texas A&M. Because back in 1922, a fan by the name of E. King Gill, literally came out of the crowd and donned a jersey, helmet, and pads to support the Aggies, after a rash of injuries shrunk their roster in the Dixie Classic. Some 60 years later, Jackie Sherrill, the newly appointed Aggie head coach was so impressed by the rough and tumble nature of the student body, that he literally assembled a kick coverage team made up entirely of walk ons, called the 12th Man Kickoff Coverage Unit. ESPN College Football reporter Dave Wilson explains how that rogue unit of madmen, took it to Notre Dame, and its Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, in the 1988 Cotton Bowl. And tells us all about the trophy that they claimed from that game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life was perfect for Ali Truwit. She was in Turks and Caicos with her best friend celebrating her graduation from Yale. Her life stretched before her, like the clear blue sea. But one moment in the ocean changed her life forever. And suddenly, Ali, who’s entire life revolved around being in the water, was faced with the prospect that she might never swim again. Today Aish Kumar shares Ali’s story, and explains how doing the work to reclaim what she lost, opened the door to Ali representing the United States in the 2024 Paralympic Games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Lincoln, Nebraska, it doesn't get any bigger than Husker Volleyball. From sold out arenas, to raking in record attendances, it's not so much a team as it is a culture, and heavy is the head that wears the crown.  But for Harper Murray, who made a bold prediction after losing in the national championship game to Texas, social media threats and public pressures began to take over not just her career, but her life.  So today, Jen Karson-Strauss, the co-director of a recent E-60 feature on the Huskers titled “No Place Like Nebraska” explains how this team dealt with adversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Olympic championship in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to the National Women’s Soccer League, as play restarts this weekend. Allegations of widespread sexual and emotional abuse forced a reckoning for the league in 2021. But three years later, a groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement is in effect, investment is pouring in, and franchise values are on the rise. Today, Philadelphia Inquirer soccer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald explains how the U.S. gold medal triumph sets the stage for the remainder of the NWSL season and why, both globally and domestically, the women’s game has never been better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s face it, for the last few years, the New York Mets have made headlines in the most Metropolitan way possible. From first round playoff flamouts to million dollar fire sales to chucking gloves in the stands, something always seemed to be going wrong in Queens. But through it all, the one enduring constant has been their underrated superstar – shortstop Francisco Lindor. And with the Mets looking to make noise this October, his off the field leadership could be more valuable than his Hall of Fame numbers. So Jeff Passan joins us to explain why Lindor is definitely the guy you want in you clubhouse and how the Mets could be building MLB’s next juggernaut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania are home to Howard J. Lamade Stadium – one of the most fabulous baseball sites in America and the site of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Every year teams from around the globe travel to this small town to showcase their grit, hope, sportsmanship and will to win. While this represents everything that’s great about the game of baseball, there’s also a special brand of magic that takes place that’s hard to explain if you’ve never been. So today, ESPN’s Sebastian Salazar joins us to break down exactly what makes Williamsport so special from the families, to the competition and, of course, the food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While we are still enjoying the last moments of summer, the college football machine is already off and running as a fully operational battlestation. The CFB Top 25 rankings were just released and while some teams are looking poised to be some serious competition, others have fallen in the rankings leaving many questions up in the air. There have been so many changes in 2024, from the new sheriff in town for the Crimson Tide, to the SoCal teams swimming in the ultra-competitive Big Ten waters. Not to mention the chaos that will be the new playoff format. So today, college football uber-expert Ryan McGee joins us to make sense of all of this and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, as the Little League World Series brings youth sports front and center, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin explains how George McCaskey, a scion of the legendary Halas family who owns the Chicago Bears, became a community fixture in youth sports as an umpire. Plus, Courtney’s been watching the Bears closely this preseason and tells us whether or not they’ve found their dream team with the rookie duo of quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga took the mound on June 2, 2010 he was just looking to prove to the team that he deserved the stay in the starting rotation. But what began as a routine outing, turned into one of the most dramatic and historic moments in baseball history. Galarraga sat down the first 26 Cleveland hitters that he faced, leaving him one out away from a perfect game. But moments later, instead of glory, a blown call by the umpire, Jim Joyce, kicked off a nightmare for Major League Baseball. Today, ESPN’s Jen Lada explains what we can learn about justice and equity from this moment in time. Jen’s report, E-60 Presents 28 Outs: An Imperfect Story, airs August 18 at 4pm ET on ESPN and ESPN+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Olympic games are over and on the hardwood, both the men and women of Team USA brought home gold.  But while the guys head off to vacation, the WNBA athletes are getting back to work. The league’s four-week break for the Paris Olympiad is over with teams taking the court tonight to kick off the season’s home stretch. And many storylines are still up in the air. Today, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo, an Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA All-Star herself, drops by to tell us about the playoff push and what it’s like to represent your country on the hardcourt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the greatest achievements in sports and music are the product of the same phenomenon––finding your flow. That is the motivating idea behind a new ESPN Film, from the mind of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, titled “Rhythm Masters.” Hart interviewed numerous athletes and coaches from different sports, from Phil Jackson and Laila Ali, to Marshawn Lynch and Joe Montana. The result is an exploration of the common threads between top level athletes and musical artists.  Our own Wright Thompson worked with Hart on the film. In advance of its premiere tonight on ESPN, he takes us inside the production team’s artistic process, explains Bill Walton’s influence on the project, and examines the often overlooked role that creativity plays in athletic greatness. For more on Bill Walton and the Grateful Dead, check out our 2021 conversation with the man himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Olympics are over, but in Europe, the soccer season is just about to get underway. In England, Premier League football begins on Friday, and the question everyone needs answered? Can anyone topple Manchester City from the top of the heap? Meanwhile, further south in the continent, La Liga starts on Thursday. And the league with the most star power on the map, welcomes the best player on the planet in Kylian Mbappé, to its biggest brand, Real Madrid. Today, ESPN’s Luis Miguel Echegaray tells us everything we need to know ahead of the start of two of the biggest soccer leagues on the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Summer 2024 Paris Olympics just ended, and it was truly a return to form for the games. France, and the world, embraced the athletes from across the globe, and with no COVID restrictions in place, we got a chance to see the competitors play a brand new role. Influencer. We were able to get up close and personal thanks to the access you get on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, or X, which made for a fun, and at times hilarious two weeks of competition. So today, our Emily Kaplan puts down her hockey stick and dives into social media to explain how the Olympics is entering its influencer stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After winning two golds, a silver, and a bronze in Paris, Thursday brought news that Katie Ledecky will carry the flag for the United States in Sunday’s Olympic closing ceremonies. It’s just another item on a very, very long list of career records and milestones.  But despite the wild success, Ledecky’s unassuming personality and predictable dominance have made her more of a steady champion than a cultural phenomenon. Today, our D’arcy Maine helps peel back the curtain to understand what makes Ledecky tick, how she’s achieved such greatness, and whether we’ll see her on the Olympic stage one more time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second week of the Olympic Games means one thing – the promise that stars will either fall or be made in track and field. And from what we’ve seen so far, Paris has delivered. Noah Lyles claimed the title of Fastest Man Alive and has his sights set on claiming more gold in today’s 200M event. And while Sha’Carri Richardson lived up to her 2020 promise that she would be a presence in these Games, despite so many counting her out. Then there’s the newly minted national heroes like Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia and Thea LaFond of Dominica bringing home the first medals in the history of their respective countries. So today, from Paris, Coley Harvey shares his front row seat in Stade de France and lets us know that the drama in these Games is just getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paris’ women’s gymnastics events were flooded by Olympics fans looking to get one last peek at Simone Biles on the sports’ biggest stage. But her ultimate legacy will likely go far beyond what took place in this competition, or any other for that matter. Today, our Alyssa Roenigk draws on her years of reporting on Biles and explains how generations of gymnasts will have Simone to thank for a sport with a far healthier outlook on the body and the mind. Alyssa’s project on Simone Biles is titled “The Eras Tour - Simone’s Version.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Imane Khelif of Algeria defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds at the Paris Olympics, she should have been celebrating her advancing to the quarterfinals. Instead, Khelif found herself at the center of a firestorm focused on her gender. Because even though she was born a woman, has lived her life as a woman, and was verified by the International Olympic Committee as a woman. There were loud voices spreading the misinformation that a man had just beaten up a woman in an Olympic boxing match. It’s a familiar debate that has raged at different points in the modern sports world. About who is and isn’t eligible to take part in women’s athletics. And a fight that hits even harder against women of color. So today, ESPN’s Katie Barnes joins the show to explain how the history of eligibility in women’s athletics is tied to a complicated science that doesn’t lend itself to simple regulations. And to explore why we keep weaponizing gender when it comes to women’s sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve seen how a good quarterback can change everything for an NFL franchise nearly overnight.  Brett Favre started a chain of succession that is looking to anoint its third champion in Green Bay. Tom Brady turned the Patriots into the greatest dynasty the sport has ever seen. And Patrick Mahomes is looking to three-peat in Kansas City. And in today’s NFL, it seems like the path to becoming an iconic signal caller is happening faster than ever before. So today, with the NFL season just around the corner, ESPN’s newly cemented NFL Analyst Ben Solak tells us what we can expect from this rookie class of QBs, and how ready this new generation is to take the league by storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices