The ESPN Daily: How to guard James Harden, it’s NFL Draft szn and why Urijah Faber still fights at 40
So we meet again, Tuesday. If you stayed up last night to watch some extra football in a messy NFC East battle between New York and Philadelphia, you saw Eli Manning do some impressive things but fall to the Eagles in OT. You might be wondering if we just witnessed the last act in the book of Manning. I say it’s too early in the week to tackle something of that magnitude. Here’s your ESPN Daily:
Can’t stop, won’t stop … Defending James Harden ain’t easy. On the contrary, attempting to guard the Houston Rockets’ versatile star can be downright puzzling. Thus, teams are having to try something different against The Beard. Hint: It involves a whole lot of double-teams. On today’s episode of the ESPN Daily podcast, ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe joins host Mina Kimes to measure Harden’s impact on the league this season and discuss effective ways to stop him.
Monday night magic … Nothing like a little magic to spice up a Monday Night Football pregame. Just ask Randy Moss, who became the subject of one of former Philadelphia Eagles long-snapper Jon Dorenbos’ magic tricks. The Hall of Fame wide receiver’s reaction? Arguably better than the trick itself. Watch.
Kiper & McShay are back at it … Just like that, it’s 2020 NFL Draft szn. We’re going to go ahead and assume you have questions — as one does at this stage in the game. You might be wondering: What’s next for Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa? What other quarterbacks could go in the first round? Does Alabama still own April’s draft, or is Ohio State going to be most represented? Perhaps you’re dying to know whether it’s reasonable to believe that a certain pass-rusher could go in the No. 1 spot over the QBs? All valid questions. I won’t pretend to have the answers, but luckily for you, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay are pretty reliable when it comes to the business of making NFL Draft projections. Read more.
What’s he fighting for? Urijah Faber will always be “The California Kid” to UFC fans. But despite what his moniker implies, he will be the oldest athlete to compete at UFC 245 this weekend in Las Vegas. At 40 years old, Faber — who has been fighting professionally for more than 15 years — will take on 26-year-old Russian Petr Yan, whom some have touted as the bantamweight division’s future champion. Should Faber manage to pull off an upset, he could find himself in contention for the one honor that has always eluded him: a UFC title.
Title belt or not, Faber is proud of what he has done in his career. From bussing tables and coaching wrestling while making well below the poverty line to being the face of an organization, he knows it’s inspiring stuff. So why is he still going? We’ll let him explain.
“I told him, looked him in his eyes and said, ‘Look, just be careful.’ You know what I mean? And damn sure if [the same situation] didn’t happen to him.”
— Carmelo Anthony on warning Chris Paul about the Rockets Read more
On this date in 2018, former Miami Heat (shout-out Big Three!) teammates and one half of a friend group affectionately known as the “Banana Boat Crew,” LeBron James and Dwyane Wade faced off for the final time. Pour one out for Peanut Butter and Jelly. Watch
League of Legends 2019 All-Star Event Day 2 (Friday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Louisville (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 4 Maryland vs. Penn State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Canadiens vs. Penguins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Milwaukee vs. No. 2 Kansas (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
No. 18 Butler vs. No. 11 Baylor (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Indiana vs. UConn (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Blackhawks at Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
When you feel like throwing in the towel, let Urijah Faber (and that cartoon that’s making the rounds where the guy has a chisel, and he’s eating away at the wall, and the gold’s right on the other side) be your reminder to keep on digging. The gold is right there, good people. This has been your ESPN Daily for Dec. 10, 2019.