Edge of Sports
423 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 594 ratingsWhere sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin
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Episodes
Colin Kaepernick vs. Donald Trump
March 28, 2017 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBDoes Colin Kaepernick not have an NFL job because of political collusion? Is Donald Trump behind it? We speak to Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report for the lowdown.Also, we talk about the US Women’s Hockey Strike with the legendary 1980 US men's hockey captain Mike Eruzione.We also have a Just Stand Up award, a Just Sit Down, and a call for a Final Four strike.Mike Eruzionehttp://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/18935224/mike-eruzione-throws-support-us-women-hockey-team Mike Tanier Follow on Twi...
ESPN’s Jemele Hill on Hosting SportsCenter and Dealing With the Haters
March 21, 2017 14:00 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBThe co-host of ESPN's 6 PM SportsCenter show, Jemele Hill, joins us to talk about how she and her co-host Michael Smith are reshaping the sports institution, with a little bit of help from Biggie Smalls and amplified by growing up in Detroit. I also have some "choice words" about the NCAA tournament, a Just Stand Up award to the women of USA hockey and a shocking Just Sit Down award to one of our favorites. We also have Kaepernick watch and merch news!Jemele Hill Follow on Twitter at: http://...
FightPlan: Muhammad Ali vs Donald Trump
March 13, 2017 02:32 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBWe speak to former U.S. attorney and current legal representative of Muhammad Ali, Jr. and Khalilah Camacho-Ali, Chris Mancini, about the Ali family's plan to challenge Donald Trump's Muslim ban, which all started when the Ali's were detained for hours and interrogated about both their religion in their name. We also have some "Choice Words" about the presence of FIFA branded teams that exist on illegal Israeli settlements. We have a just stand up award for My-King Johnson, the first openly g...
The Enduring Legacy of 'Hoop Dreams'
March 07, 2017 01:56 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThe REBOOTED PODCAST now sponsored by the Nation Magazine is officially underway! We start it off with an interview with legendary documentary filmmaker, and the producer of Hoop Dreams, Peter Gilbert. We talk about youth basketball, what’s changed and what’s stayed the same since his landmark 1994 film.I also have some “choice words” about the anti-Trump sentiment bubbling in the NBA, some “harsh words” for sports radio sexist dinosaur Mike Francesa, a Kaepernick watch about the quarterback’...
The Politics Beneath the Super Bowl with Sekou Smith
February 08, 2017 08:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBIt's mourning in Atlanta. To get the lowdown on the scene in the ATL after New England's epic Super Bowl comeback victory, we speak to Atlanta and NBA television's own Sekou Smith. We also speak to Sekou about why it is NBA players have been by far the most outspoken athletes of the Trump era. I also have some "choice words" about the political energy thrumming beneath the Super Bowl and a Just Stand Up award for the one Patriots player not going to gently to Trump's White House. We are takin...
The Brady/Trump Nexus with Melissa Jacobs of SI
February 01, 2017 22:20 - 38 minutes - 35.7 MBFor Super Bowl week, we have Sports Illustrated NFL editor Melissa Jacobs to discuss her column "Why Tom Brady's friendship with Donald Trump is the Public's Business." We talk about the backlash face by writers who probe this relationship, and why the Brady/Trump nexus matters. Also this week some choice words about why the sports world needs to stand with Muslim athletes. We have listener calls about the "alternative facts" in the sports world, and a 'Just Stand Up' award to Pat Tillman is ...
Defending Title IX with Nancy Hogshead-Makar
January 25, 2017 05:26 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBNancy Hogshead-Makar is a three-time gold-medalist swimmer, sexual assault survivor, and one of the most renowned Title IX attorneys in the US. We speak to her about the importance of defending Title IX and what a Donald Trump presidency could mean for the landmark 1972 legislation. We also speak to her about the Women's March on Washington, which she attended with her 11-year-old daughters. I’ll also speak about my experience at Trump's tiny Inauguration ceremony, and Spurs Coach Gregg Popov...
The Time Is Now: John Carlos LIVE on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 21, 2017 13:35 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBIn front of 400 high school students in Concord, Massachusetts I speak to 1968 Olympic legend Dr. John Carlos about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and what it means for today. Also this week I have some choice words about Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the attacks made against him by fascists in Greece. We also have a very special Kaepernick watch. Stay frosty, people.http://www.johncarlos68.comhttp://twitter.com/DrJohnCarlosDave Zirin in The Nation: https://www.thenatio...
Michael Bennett LIVE in Seattle
January 11, 2017 05:59 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBIn front of over 800 people at Town Hall Seattle, we speak to Seahawks all-pro defensive end Michael Bennett about sports, society, masculinity, and everything in between. If you don't know Michael Bennett, it's time for you to know a player who is funny, fearless, and proudly political. We also have some choice words about why athletes should just say no to visiting the Trump White House. Our 'Just Stand Up' award goes to for Steph Curry, and 'Kaepernick Watch' reviews the QB's big shoe dona...
Chris Webber: Beats, Hoops and Life
January 05, 2017 17:14 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBThis week we speak to Chris Webber about his new podcast ‘Fearless or Insane’ as well as his politics, growing up in a union household, hip-hop, and fine dining. I also read an email I received from a security guard at Viking Stadium about the protest banner hanging against the Dakota access pipeline and we have I just stand up or that goes to the entire San Francisco 49ers team.Tonight in Seattle:Dave Zirin with Michael BennettThe Collision: Sports and Politics in the U.S.7:30PM, Thursday, J...
Jan 5 in Seattle: Dave Zirin & Michael Bennett
December 30, 2016 20:24 - 25 seconds - 402 KBHey Seattle, come out to our own Dave Zirin's big event on January 5 at Town HallDave Zirin with Michael BennettThe Collision: Sports and Politics in the U.S.7:30PM, Thursday, January 5, 2017Great Hall(Free – $5)Free admission for students. Doors open at 6:30PMInfo:http://townhallseattle.org/event/dave-zirin/Tickets:http://townhall.strangertickets.com/events/39214033/dave-zirin-the-collision-sports-and-politics-in-the-us—http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | ...
Hoops and Harm with Jack McCallum
December 22, 2016 04:58 - 59 minutes - 54 MBJack McCallum is the most important, respected basketball writer of the last 50 years. We talk to Captain Jack about how basketball players will respond to a trump presidency, the career resurrection of my kids and toni, and the differences – from the three-point shot to basic muscle tone – of players in the league. I also speak about what it would look like if Donald Trump could name our sports commissioners. We respond to a hotline call about Jim Brown meeting the President-Elect, and final...
Hide Your Kids: Patrick Hruby vs. High School Football
December 16, 2016 03:36 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBFirst, we hear from Patrick Hruby, a contributing editor at VICE Sports, who makes the case against High School Football in his latest piece, “Friday Night Lights Out.” Then, I tell the story of 2016 in Sports & Struggle, and finish with a ‘Just Stand Up’ award to the Women’s Basketball Team at UC Santa Barbara their Athletic Director John McCutcheon who stood up for the team’s right to protest.Patrick Hruby: website, twitterFriday Night Lights Out: The Case For Abolishing High School Footbal...
How The Feds Executed My Parents: Michael Meeropol, Son of The Rosenbergs
December 09, 2016 07:20 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBWe speak this week to Michael Meeropol, whose parents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were executed by the US government in 1953. We talk about his efforts to clear his mother's name and the importance of the Brooklyn Dodgers in their lives. Meeropol reads from the letters of his parents where they discuss baseball. I also have choice words about rap icon Kurtis Blow and his underrated importance to the development of the NBA as a global phenomenon. Finally we have a tribute to the late Black Pa...
Sole By The Pound: Sonny Vaccaro on NCAA Sham Amatuerism
December 01, 2016 05:47 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBToday we speak to the most influential person in basketball who never laced up sneakers or coached on a sideline: former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro – the guy who connected sneaker money to so-called amateur hoops. He is also is the person who has become perhaps the most important spokesperson against the injustices the NCAA. I also have some "choice words" about an event I moderated last week with San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Dr. Cornel West in front of 350 San Antonio high sc...
Next Week: Sonny Vaccaro
November 23, 2016 18:00 - 1 minute - 989 KB—http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: [email protected] | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-428-3343 (EDGE) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Dr. Harry Edwards On The Athlete-Activist Under Trump
November 16, 2016 21:07 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBLegendary sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards has been working with Colin Kaepernick and speaking in locker rooms around the country. We speak with him about the recent elections and the challenges as well as the opportunities it creates for this new generation of athlete-activists. We also ask Dr. Edwards what inspiration can be drawn from the life of his old friend Muhammad Ali. In addition, I have some choice words about critics of Colin Kaepernick's decision not to vote, we have an exten...
Going Full Dissident with Howard Bryant
November 11, 2016 06:35 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBESPN The Magazine's Howard Bryant joins the podcast to talk about the only issue that matters. The election of Donald Trump was a slap in the face to anyone who believes that racism, sexual assault and anti-immigrant sentiment are are bad. But the election of Trump - with a minority of the vote remember - is far more complicated that just saying it's racism. It's the Democratic Party, it's the Clinton campaign, and it's the way working class people - white, black and brown - have been crushed...
Lifelines, Not Pipelines: Jesse Jackson & Jackie Keeler
November 02, 2016 21:55 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBWe are honored to speak with Reverend Jesse Jackson about his trip to North Dakota to fight the Dakota access pipeline (DAPL,) giving Jackie Robinson's eulogy, and playing one-on-one against Marvin Gaye. We are equally honored to speak to native American journalist Jackie Keeler about her experiences in North Dakota, its connection to a Native American mascots in sports, and why the DAPL resistance has produced, in her mind, "the most unified native response since Little Big Horn." We also ha...
Institutional Betrayal: Jessica Luther on Josh Brown, College Football and the Politics of Rape
October 26, 2016 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46 MBIn a week dominated by stories about former New York Giants place kicker Josh Brown and the NFL's continual coverup of domestic violence, we speak to Jessica Luther, author of the book “Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape.” This week I also have some choice words of my own about the Giants’ shameful handling of the Josh Brown incident and why Roger Goodell should, in my opinion, no longer be employed. Lastly, the ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Denasia Lawrence, a...
Say Everything: John Cusack on Kaepernick, The Cubs, Snowden & Things that Can and Cannot Be Said
October 21, 2016 08:51 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBJohn Cusack is a renowned actor, best known for classics like Being John Malkovich, Better Off Dead, Say Anything, and for my money, the greatest sports movie of all time, Eight Men Out. Cusack is also a serious political thinker with a new book “Things That Can and Cannot Be Said: Essays and Conversations,” co-written with Indian author Arundhati Roy about a range of subjects from patriotism, war, resistance, and empire – most centrally a reflection on a trip Cusack took with Roy and famed w...
Not In My Locker Room: DeAndre Levy of the Detroit Lions Speaks Out
October 15, 2016 14:12 - 42 minutes - 39 MBIn an attempt to excuse his own repugnant behavior, Donald Trump unwittingly started a real conversation on what he dubbed “locker room talk” about sexual violence against women. Our guest, Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, is the rare pro athlete who is awake to this issue. Levy writes, advocates, and fundraises to fight domestic and sexual abuse. We also speak to him about the Kaepernick protests. Then, we have ’Choice Words’ about my own experience with "locker room talk" and the ‘Jus...
Walter Beach to Colin Kaepernick: Black Radicals in Sports
October 06, 2016 23:41 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBWe speak to Dr. Walter Beach, starter on the Cleveland Browns 1964 Championship team and member of the famed Muhammad Ali Summit about the politics of sports and racism: what has changed and what remains the same from his days in the NFL. He is as deep a thinker as you will find and this will "wow" you. We also speak about Colin Kaepernick's comments about the Trump=Clinton elections, the gorilla taking the field with an All Lives Matter sign, and we have a Just Stand Up award for a player re...
John Carlos: “Follow Kaepernick to the Rainbow”
September 28, 2016 22:10 - 57 minutes - 53 MBWe bring sports and politics icon John Carlos in-studio to talk about how it feels to see a new generation of athletes replicate his anthem protests of 1968. Dr. Carlos - who is having a wild week - also speaks to us about the opening of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture where he was part of the unveiling of a statue of himself, and two other two men on that iconic medal stand: Tommie Smith and Peter Norman. Carlos is also in town to visit the White House. He spe...
Bob Costas on Covering Kaepernick and the Olympics
September 22, 2016 05:56 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBIconic NBC broadcaster Bob Costas speaks about balancing the real world and the sports world, when politics rip through the games we often turn to for escape. We also have some 'choice words' about white athletes and the movement for Black Lives and we take and respond to messages left on the Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE.) The ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to the young people with the courage to kneel. This week's show is dedicated to Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott.The Nat...
Face-to-Face with Olympian Feyisa Lilesa and the NFL's Weekend of Dissent
September 14, 2016 06:32 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBWhen Feyisa Lilesa crossed won silver at the 2016 Olympics, he raised his arms in an X formation, a symbol of solidarity with the Oromo Liberation struggle in his home of Ethiopia. We speak to Lilesa about why he fears for his life, who he holds dear as his athletic heroes and what message he has for Colin Kaepernick and USA athletes using their platform to speak out for social change. We also have choice words about the weekend of 9/11, national anthem protest in the NFL. We also have choice...
The Fire Last Time: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
September 07, 2016 20:06 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBBefore Colin Kaepernick, there was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. In 1996, the Denver Nuggets guard said that on principle he could not stand for the national anthem because the flag in many countries represents "oppression and tyranny." He was fined, suspended, attacked, and yet we will hear on this week's podcast why he has no regrets. We will also hear what advice Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has for Kaepernick and why he holds the words of Arundhati Roy and Malcolm X close to his heart. Abdul-Rauf also answer...
Swimming With Sharks: Kaepernick's Protest, Backlash and Resistance
August 31, 2016 04:28 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBWe speak to Olympic gold-medal swimmer Anthony Ervin about Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest against police violence, Ervin's book ‘Chasing Water,’ and life since winning gold in Rio. Then, choice words about, and then from, an athletic activist who walked in Kaepernick's path, Toni Smith–Thompson. The ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Khaled Beydoun for his look at how Kaepernick is being dealt with in the sewers of sports radio. Finally, we answer a phone message from listener Ronnie that asked...
Breaking: Colin Kaepernick and the backlash he faces. Guest: NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith
August 27, 2016 21:25 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBSan Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick decided to sit during the national anthem because he is "not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color." In a special edition of the podcast, we have DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association who speaks on what the union can, and cannot do, to protect Kaepernick, and why the NFLPA - and not the NFL - is his "family" at this moment in time.We want to hear your opinion of K...
Real Olympic Drama: Caster Semenya, Feyisa Lilesa and Rio
August 26, 2016 04:52 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBAs Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia crossed the finish line to win silver in the olympic marathon in Rio, he raised his arms and crossed them above his head in protest against his own government. With this simple act, Lilesa brought the world’s attention to the plight of his Oromo people and the struggle to keep their land out of Ethiopia’s ruling party's hands. Feyisa Lilesa has etched himself into Olympic protest history and we salute him with the ‘Just Stand Up’ award. But first, I speak with sch...
The Other Olympic Rio with Favela Activist Theresa Williamson
August 19, 2016 07:30 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBIn the run-up to Brazil’s year of mega-events, Theresa Williamson made her website RioOnWatch.org into an essential independent news source. In our final Olympics podcast, Theresa Williamson joins me for a wide-ranging and insightful talk that you will not find on any other show. We’ll also stop by a party at the oft-discussed Vila Autódromo, site of a high-profile battle for over residents rights that is just a stone’s throw away from Olympic Park. My ‘Choice Words’ are about the stalwart Br...
Live from Olympic Rio: O Bom, O Mau, O Feio
August 14, 2016 15:42 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBWe are in Olympic Rio shining light on the dark corners of these games. First up: Jules Boykoff, a razor-sharp critic of sports culture and the author of “Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics.” Then, Stephanie Reist, a PhD candidate from Duke, based in Rio and writing about the Rio suburbs for the essential site RioOnWatch.org. ’Choice Words’ is a column about the intoxicating nature of the Olympics - and resistance to them. The ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Gabby Douglas in respo...
Road To Rio, Russia, and The Grief Of The Khans
August 04, 2016 03:07 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBThe Olympics are here and as I head to Rio, Edge of Sports has David W. Larkin, an attorney who focuses on the corruption of sports organizations like the International Olympic Committee, about the decision to not suspend Russia from the Olympics. We ask him which is more corrupt: the IOC or FIFA? His analysis may surprise you. We also have some "choice words" about the Rio Olympics - of course - and why ten years ago, almost no one thought having Brazil as a host was a bad idea. But I start ...
The Politics of Basketball ...or... Keeping Adam Silver Honest
July 26, 2016 23:24 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBIn response to North Carolina’s discriminatory HB-2 'bathroom bill,' NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stood up for LGBTQ rights and pulled the 2017 All-Star game from Charlotte. Yet in the very same week, Silver and WNBA President Lisa Borders levied fines on female players who donned black t-shirts in pregame warmups to support the Black Lives Matter movement. To understand this tricky political moment, we have Howard Bryant, a friend of the show, author, commentator and columnist for ESPN. Then...
The Premature Activist Athlete: Royce White on the ESPYs opening
July 20, 2016 19:37 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBToday there is largely universal praise for the ESPY statements of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. But what about athletes who stood up in much more difficult environment? Today we take a critical look at the ESPY statement with 2012 NBA first round draft pick Royce White. This is an NBA-level talent who has been pushed out of the league for standing up. We talk to Royce about the ESPYS and his future. I also have some "Choice words" about the way this discussion of...
Athletic Revolt and #BlackLivesMatter with Scoop Jackson
July 13, 2016 21:05 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBThe police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, followed by the sniper attack on police in Dallas, unleashed a wave of protests throughout the country. It also produced numerous responses by athletes who spoke out strongly in support of the black lives matter movement. Why is this happening now and why does it matter? Our guest is Scoop Jackson of ESPN, former editor of SLAM magazine.Scoop Jackson twitter:https://twitter.com/iamscoopjackson—http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://...
Kevin Durant Chooses His Own Adventure
July 08, 2016 16:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBThe Sports World is buzzing about NBA star's Kevin Durant's move from Oklahoma City to the Golden State Warriors. We break it down - the basketball and the political sides of this deal - with NBA.com's own Sekou Smith. Then, in front of a live audience, I do a talk about the political lessons of the Mizzou football strike against racism. Finally, the Just Stand Up award to Olympic swimmer Anthony Ervin.Sekou Smith: http://twitter.com/SekouSmithNBA/Hang Time blog: http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com...
Goodbye, Champ: A Final Tribute to Muhammad Ali
July 01, 2016 04:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBOur final tribute to Muhammad Ali features Bill Siegel, director of ‘The Trials of Muhammad Ali,’ as well as cultural commentator and author Bijan C. Bayne, and finally, one icon says goodbye to another as 1968 Olympic hero, Dr. John Carlos honors Ali.Hear our entire series of Ali tributes at http://EdgeOfSportsPodcast.com. Thank you to all the guests who participated and to the city of Louisville for hosting such a touching tribute.Bill Siegel film: https://twitter.com/MuhammadAliDoc | http:...
LeBron’s Champion Cavaliers & Sports After Orlando
June 23, 2016 01:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBThe ascendancy of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James to the top of the mountain has captivated hoop fans everywhere, including us. First, Dave Zirin sings the praises of LeBron and the Cavs, and then speaks with Cyd Zeigler, founder of the website Outsports and author of the new book ‘Fair Play: How LGBT Athletes Are Claiming Their Rightful Place in Sports’ about how the sports world responded to the massacre of LGBT people in Orlando. Finally, we take it to church…seriously…with a reco...
Muhammad Ali's Funeral: Live From Louisville
June 16, 2016 16:30 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBToday we bring you the emotions, sounds, and voices of Muhammad Ali's funeral in Louisville. This was a day that will go down in history as the last act of resistance by the 20th century’s most iconic fighter. People came to pay respects from near and far, both young and old, in every shade of color, media professionals and everyday folks alike; all bound together by a love for Muhammad Ali. This show is dedicated to our LBGT - and specifically Latino LGBT - brothers and sisters who were kill...
Muhammad Ali's Politics of Faith
June 09, 2016 23:44 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBAll week we are releasing interviews about the remarkable and singular legacy of The Champ, Muhammad Ali. Today we have Canadian sports journalist and social justice activist Shireen Ahmed, then Baltimore poet and founder of #NoJusticeNoLeBron, Tariq Toure. They speak about the Ali's support of the Palestinian liberation and what it has meant to them to share the faith of the King of the World. Shireen Ahmed: https://twitter.com/_shireenahmed_| http://shireenahmed.comTariq Toure: http://twit...
Bob Lipsyte: Writing Black Superman’s Obituary
June 09, 2016 05:04 - 43 minutes - 40 MBOnly one man who could write the New York Times obituary of Muhammad Ali. Bob Lipsyte covered Ali for 52 years and continues our special week of coverage for The Champ. Then, writer and commentator Kavitha Davidson speaks about Ali’s cultural impact and examines the possible link between two degenerative brain diseases: Parkinson’s, which plagued Ali, and CTE, which is detected in the brains of more and more football players. Our closing song today is by Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasa Band, “B...
Chuck D Honors Ali: “He Grabbed the Mic and He Rhymed.”
June 07, 2016 07:20 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBThe world shook last week as the greatest sports figure of the 20th Century, Muhammad Ali, passed away. Today begins a week of special podcasts devoted to The Champ, which will end with a trip to Louisville for Ali’s memorial. We originally booked today’s guest, Chuck D, to talk about his new supergroup ‘Prophets of Rage,’ which also features B-Real from Cypress Hill and members of Rage Against The Machine. Today, Chuck D talks about this rebellious musical project, their summer tour that sta...
Roller Derby Star Fifi Nomenon on Being Trans in Texas
June 03, 2016 18:13 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBFifi Nomenon (say the name quickly) is a star of the Texas Rollergirls and team USA Roller Derby, and is one of the most prominent trans athletes in the United States. We break down roller derby, why it has proven to be more hospitable to trans athletes than other sports, and what it's like to be trans in Texas - a place where scapegoating has run rampant. In addition to Fifi, I have some Choice Words about anti-trans bigotry and the 2017 Super Bowl. Finally my Just Stand Up award goes to an ...
Clap Back on WaPo's Bad Poll with Jacqueline Keeler
May 27, 2016 09:24 - 39 minutes - 36 MBThe Washington Post caused a furor when they released a new poll, claiming that 90% of Native Americans are not offended by the home football team’s controversial name. We read this article with great interest and came away with more questions than answers. Today, we offer the Post, and our listeners, a moral reality check with Jacqueline Keeler, Navajo/Yankton Dakota Sioux writer and co-founder of the group ’Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry.’ Then, Dave reads a response from Washington ...
The Olympics and the Battle for Rio's Future
May 20, 2016 10:20 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBThis is the Olympics edition of the Edge of Sports podcast, and it is a news making edition of the show. I am just back from Rio de Janeiro snd the show reflects this in rather dramatic fashion. I sat down face to face with the mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes for a no holds barred discussion about the Olympics, displacement, and corruption and whether Rio is ready to host the games. Then, I sit down with Rio-based activist Theresa Williamson from Catalytic Communities. Theresa does a poi...
Roger Waters and The Occupation of the American Mind
May 13, 2016 05:54 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBThis week, an extensive interview with Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters on Israel, Palestine, US politics, and the power of music. We also discuss the role of sports in these ongoing discussions. The impetus for this interview was a new documentary that Waters narrates called The Occupation of the American Mind" put out by the Media Education Foundation. I also have some choice words about traveling to Rio - where I will be when you are listening to this pod - to look at the pre-Olympic plann...
Michael Sam: The first openly gay man in the NFL looks back, plans ahead
May 05, 2016 20:20 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBMichael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, tells his fascinating story to Dave Zirin, on-stage at University of Colorado Denver. Despite a great college career at Mizzou and slot in the 2014 draft, Sam hasn’t found a home in the NFL. Today on Edge of Sports, Michael Sam weighs the undeniable good he has done for society with honest reflections on what could have been different. Then, our ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Julie DiCaro,who, along with fellow journalist Sarah Spa...
Glenn Greenwald, the Rio Olympics & Our Tribute to Prince
April 29, 2016 20:10 - 41 minutes - 38 MBDespite heavy hearts due to the passing of Prince, we are honored to welcome one of the most prominent journalists of our time, co-founder of The Intercept, Glenn Greenwald. We speak to Greenwald primarily about the political crisis roiling Brazil and the effect it could have on the 2016 Summer Olympics… as well as the effect the Olympics could have on this political crisis. Greenwald is based in Rio and his recent writings on this subject are vital for anyone seeking to understand what is ha...
Student Athletes vs. Nike Sweatshops: Isabelle Teare of Georgetown Sailing
April 22, 2016 19:29 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBThis week, a show for all the student-athletes, student-activists, and the advocates like us who cheer them on. Isabelle Teare is a member of the Georgetown University Sailing Team. She’s also a leader in ‘Athletes and Advocates for Workers,’ a movement that’s pressured Georgetown’s administration and athletic department to confront Nike sweatshop abuses. Despite the school's long and entwined relationship with Nike, Teare and her cohort are winning. Then, comedian W. Kamau Bell has a new CNN...