The ESPN Daily: Countdown to kickoff

100 DAYS TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Sooner than you think … The offseason can feel like an eternity, but we’re only a little more than three months away from the first snap of the college football season (Florida vs. Miami, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN). From the players you’ll want to watch to the best nonconference matchups to a look back at the best plays of 2018, we’ve got a preview big enough to tide you over for the whole … well, not the whole 100 days. Probably a few hours. But they’ll be a good few hours! Read More

THINGS TO CARE ABOUT

Re-drafting the ’09 MLB draft … OK, it’s pretty clear that if the 2009 MLB draft was done over again, you’d probably select Mike Trout No. 1. No offense to Stephen Strasburg, the actual No. 1 pick. For the draft’s 10th anniversary, Keith Law tried to figure out where each player SHOULD have gone. The full re-draft is on ESPN+. Read More

How to lose 25 pounds in a week … Weight cuts are a part of most fight preparations, but Megan Anderson’s 25-pound cut for her fight at UFC Rochester on Saturday is particularly brutal. Here’s what she needs to do to in order to lose 15 percent of her body mass in such a short time — and do it in a way that still leaves her in fighting shape. Read More

The wildest lottery ever … So that was a thing. The sequence of events that led the Pelicans to get the No. 1 pick (and, in effect, Zion Williamson) was absolutely bonkers and might have involved the luckiest necktie in NBA history — one that confers upon its wearer a power heretofore unknown to mere mortals. Tread carefully, dear reader, lest it cast its gaze upon ye across the fissures of space and time! Beware! Beware! Also, there’s some analysis on how all this affects Anthony Davis. Read More

THINGS TO WATCH

The ’99ers, Reunited … It’s been 20 years since the legendary 1999 USA Women’s World Cup team inspired the soccer world with one of the most thrilling title wins of all time. We brought together Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Briana Scurry, Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain to discuss the impact of their championship run on history. You can check out the full special today at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2, but for now, here’s a sneak peek. Watch

OVERHEARD

“This is the baseball we were expecting to play.”
— Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, on the team’s recovery from a slow start. Read More

REMEMBER WHEN?

On this date in 1980, rookie Magic Johnson stepped in at center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA finals. He finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers to another title. Watch

WHAT’S ON TONIGHT?

USA vs. New Zealand (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2): After you check out The ’99ers, Reunited, watch the USWNT take on New Zealand in a tuneup for the upcoming Women’s World Cup, which is less than a month away. Team USA hasn’t lost since a 3-1 decision against France, which is hosting the WWC, earlier this year.

Trail Blazers at Warriors (9 p.m. ET, ESPN): Game 1 of the Western Conference finals went extremely poorly for the Blazers, who had no solutions for the whole “Steph Curry scoring a million points” issue. They’ll have to turn it around quickly to prevent this series from getting out of hand.

Twins at Mariners (10:10 p.m. ET, ESPN+): It’s early, but Minnesota is looking like the heavy favorite to win the AL Central. The Twins are 4.5 games ahead of Cleveland but have a plus-52 run differential to the Indians’ minus-3.

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