The ESPN Daily: Empathy for the goaltender, what it’s like when you’re suspended, and a miracle denied
The Buckeyes lost their undefeated status to unranked Minnesota. The Falcons completed a comeback over the 49ers with an absurd final sequence. LeBron fake-blocked his own teammate. I think that all appropriately runs the gamut of the human experience: pain, joy, and trolling? Here’s today’s ESPN Daily.
Nobody circles the wagons …
Coexisting in the AFC East with the likes of the Patriots has been unhealthy for the Buffalo Bills’ playoff hopes for the past two decades or so. Sunday may have marked a turning point for the franchise, however: Not only did they clinch a playoff spot, but they beat the Steelers for the first time since 1999 and clinched their first 10-win season of the whole darn century. In today’s episode of the ESPN Daily podcast, Brian Windhorst joins Mina Kimes to talk about how what this means for one of the NFL’s most storied — and harried — franchises. Speaking of the AFC East, in the second half, Barnwell and Kimes go over the twists and turns of the Patriots’ second Spygate scandal.
Week 8’s best kicks Extremely big fan of these Giannis Antetokounmpo Nike Zoom Freak 1 “MVP” edition sneakers, but not only for their aesthetic appeal. There’s something a little bit intimidating about someone who informs you of his greatness in the most casual way possible. Like, if you play a multiplayer game against someone named “xXBloodReaperXx,” that dude is probably trash, but the guy who goes by “:)” is going to wreck you. That’s the energy Giannis has here. We’ve got the rest of the best of Week 8’s hottest sneakers right here.
The coaching carousel … Tim Thomas’ name had become something of a joke around the NHL. He seemingly fell off the face of the earth three years after leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup. There were bizarre rumors about his whereabouts — that he lived in, of all things, a bunker. Former teammates didn’t feel comfortable talking about him. It seemed like he had become a ghost.
So when Emily Kaplan heard he would be at his U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction, she had to be there. What she found was a far more complicated story than anyone would have expected, and a reminder of the importance of empathy.
What it’s like when you’re suspended … It’s easy to notice the absence of a suspended player. Your team’s lineups look weird, their rhythm is way off and the dude in question is usually sitting on the sidelines in street clothes. It’s just really unusual, but how do you think the dude who’s been suspended feels? Wilson Chandler just finished dealing with that strange stasis. On Sunday, he returned to a Brooklyn Nets team that spent his entire 25-game absence battling for relevance in the East.
“You start to think about, ‘Is it really worth it?’ Not because you don’t want to play, but because you’re in a dark place.”
— Wilson Chandler, on considering retirement during his suspension
Chandler did yeoman’s work in his return, grabbing seven rebounds off the bench, but those numbers don’t reflect his struggle during his suspension. Malika Andrews has the inside story
Land of confusion Here’s a weird one: the NFL officiating department had to step in to correct a snafu in the coin toss. See, Dak Prescott said the Cowboys wanted to kick it, but then said “We defer to the second half.” The referee only responded to the first intention, which meant the Cowboys would be in the unenviable position of having to kick off to start both halves. Fortunately, the league office cleared it up, and anyway, the Cowboys beat the Rams in a rout, so it’s not sure how much it actually would have mattered. Still, it’s another example of an officiating decision that could have affected the result of a game.
Why does anyone throw at Stephon Gilmore? Tom Brady’s still struggling, but that might not matter if the Patriots’ defense keeps playing the way they are — particularly Stephon Gilmore, who had a one-handed INT and a pick six to his credit on Sunday.
“Play hard. Have fun. Be a great teammate. And everything else will take care of itself.”
— LeBron James, telling Rachel Nichols what advice he gives Bronny before games Watch
On this date in 1999, “Any Given Sunday” was released, reminding everyone that on this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. You think I’m gonna continue in this vein, but “Any Given Sunday” quotes generally end up inappropriate for this newsletter.
Southern Miss at Texas Tech (men’s basketball, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Predators at Rangers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Avalanche at Blues (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Colts at Saints (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The anniversary of “Any Given Sunday” gives me the opportunity to appreciate how great some of the Sports Names were in that film. “Steamin'” Willie Beamen! Montezuma Monroe! Tony D’Amato! Just perfect. This has been your ESPN Daily for Monday, December 16, 2019.