Burn It All Down

Brenda, Shireen, Jessica and Lindsay dig into the joys and losses of the Olympics and revel in some of the majesty of and dramas of sport. Shireen interviews the brilliant Kelly Lindsey and the indomitable Khalida Popal of the Afghan Women's National Football team and we hear how they hustle - all over the world - to strengthen their team. The crew talks NCAA and the horrors and injustices committ...

In Episode 42, Amira, Brenda, and Lindsay join forces to discuss their complicated feelings about the "woke" Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Is it empowering, exploitation, or both? Plus, we have two extra special interviews: Shireen talks with Keph Senett about the Pride House in Pyeongchang, and Brenda interviews Amy Bass about what happens behind the scenes in production at the Olympics. A...

On this Olympic hot take, Jessica interviews USA Today columnist Nancy Armour, who is currently in PyeongChang, South Korea, covering her twelfth Olympic games. If you would like to hear more of these kind of hot takes or additional monthly Burn It All Down podcast segments, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/burnitalldown For more info check our website: http://www.burnitalldownpod.co...

The entire BIAD team is together this week. Shireen Ahmed, Amira Rose Davis, Jessica Luther, Lindsay Gibbs and Brenda Elsey talk about the results of the United States Soccer Federation elections, sexualized violence by coaches in swimming and other sports. Then Lindsay chats with US Ski Jumper Lindsey Van. The BIAD crew burns what desperately needs to be burned, amplifies the phenomenal women, an...

This week Amira Rose Davis, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs Jessica Luther and Shireen Ahmed are all together to go through every Olympic event to be held at PyeongChang 2018. Then Shireen interviews Erin jackson, the first African-American woman to represent the USA in longtrack speed skating- also a phenomenal Roller Derby Jammer and champion in-line skater. Shireen gives a run down of the incredibl...

This week, Shireen Ahmed, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther talk about the ongoing fallout from the Larry Nassar case, including how Michigan State, USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic Committee, and the NCAA have (or have not) responded. Then they discuss the English Football Association’s hiring of Phil Neville and do a general WTF about these kind of coaching decisions in women’s socce...

Trigger Warning This week Shireen Ahmed, Amira Rose Davis, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther update listeners on the pending 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Brenda interviews Professor Rachael Joo, an expert on South Korean sport. She provides a nuanced analysis of tensions between local residents and critics of the environmental and economic impact of the games. The team then p...

This week Amira Rose Davis, Shireen Ahmed and Brenda Elsey talk about women sports fans in Saudi Arabia who headed to stadiums for the the first time recently and the grassroots movements that got them there. Then they discuss Serena’s candid Vogue spread and the way it amplifies important conversations about black maternal health. Then Lindsay interviews ESPN women’s basketball analyst LaChina Ro...

We’re back! Happy new year! This week, Shireen Ahmed, Amira Rose Davis, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther talk about (the lack of) diversity in the Winter Olympics and athletes of color headed to Pyeongchang next month. Then they discuss how recent actions by North and South Korea around the Olympics reveal the lie that sports (and the Olympics, in particular) aren’t political. Then Shireen interv...

This is the second of two Best Of 2017 episodes. This week, the gang talks about their hopes and dreams for sports in 2018. Then we share three of our favorite interviews we aired on the show during 2017: Jemele Hill on college sports fandom, Sissi and Tafa on fighting for gender equity in sport, and Kelsey Bone on athlete activism. To help support the podcast, please consider becoming a patron: h...

This is the first of two Best Of 2017 episodes. This week, the gang talks about our favorite sports stories from this year, we share three of our favorite segments that we recorded in 2017, and then we cap it off with each of us choosing our own favorite Burn Pile from the first 33 episodes of this podcasting adventure. To help support the podcast, please consider becoming a patron: https://www.pa...

On this week’s episode, Brenda Elsey and Lindsay Gibbs are joined by special guest co-host Ana Marie Cox (host of the Crooked Media podcast, “With Friends Like These”) to discuss the horrific sexual harassment allegations against employees at ESPN and the NFL Network. Then they talk about their personal connection to sports, and how they hold onto their love for these games despite all of the prob...

On this week’s episode, Brenda Elsey, Shireen Ahmed, Amira Rose Davis, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther talk about the Russian Olympic Committee being suspended from the 2018 Winter Olympics for systemic doping in previous Games, why a Jonas brother showed up to the FIFA trial, and Hope Solo’s bid for president of US Soccer. Then Amira interviews volleyball legend, Sylvia Ortiz, about being polit...

Trigger Warning This week on Burn It All Down, we open the show with Lindsay Gibbs interviewing Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly come forward with allegations against Larry Nassar, and award-winning investigative reporter for the Indianapolis Star who has covered the Nassar case, Marisa Kwiatkowski. The interview has graphic descriptions of sexual assault against minors; if you’d...

This week, Amira Rose Davis, Shireen Ahmed, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther discuss why using native and/or indigenous people as mascots is bad and should stop, and they talk about the wild things unfolding in the FIFA trial and the need to keep caring even when we are exhausted and unsurprised by institutional corruption. Then Shireen interviews Arielle Castillo to talk about the...

This week on Burn It All Down, Amira Rose Davis, Brenda Elsey, and Lindsay Gibbs talk about the coolest sports deserving of a bigger spotlight - like bobsled, short track speed skating, and softball. Amira interviews Simone Lee, volleyball extraordinaire from top-ranked Penn State University. And before heading to the burn pile, the team ponders the historic plight of the Black quarterback. Phaidr...

This week on Burn It All Down, Shireen Ahmed, Brenda Elsey, and Jessica Luther discuss racism in sport, including recent incidents in soccer and baseball, and share stories they’ve enjoyed about athletes preparing for next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Then Shireen interviews professional ice hockey player, Kaliya Johnson. As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pile and Bad Ass Woma...

In Episode 27, Shireen Ahmed, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther discuss #MeToo, sexual harassment and assault, and sports media; and things in sports that have made them all happy recently (for instance, check out https://www.popovichkerr2020.com/ !!). Then Lindsay interviews Hannah Bevis about the National Women's Hockey League. As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pile, Bad Ass Woman of the Week, and...

In Episode 26, Shireen Ahmed, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther welcome their new co-host, Amira Rose Davis, to the Burn It All Down family. The group then discusses whether this is the beginning of the end for football and efforts within NASCAR ranks to increase diversity. Then Shireen interviews Allison Gallagher about the exclusion of trans woman Hannah Mouncey from the Australian...

This week, Shireen Ahmed, Brenda Elsey, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther discuss Eni Aluko and the disaster that is the Football Association in England, and ESPN choosing to partner with Barstool Sports. Then Jessica interviews Sports Illustrated's Emma Span about the World Series, bat flips, and #takeaknee in baseball. As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pile, Bad Ass Woman of the Week, and What’s G...

This week, Brenda Elsey, Shireen Ahmed, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther discuss football, or "soccer" as those in the US say. They talk the NWSL season and the bruising final, World Cup qualifiers, and all the women footballers around the world fighting for better treatment and better pay. Then Brenda interviews Brazilian football superstars, Sissi and Tafa! As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pile,...

This week, Shireen interviews Dr. Amira Rose Davis and Dr. Nicole Neverson about the Cam Newton and Jourdan Rodrigue debacle, and Lindsay interviews WNBA player Imani McGee-Stafford about hope and her challenges with mental health issues. There is a flaming pile that needs burning and incredible women to celebrate in Badass Women of the Week. For more info check our website: http://www.burnitalldo...

On this week's show Shireen Ahmed and Jessica Luther talk about the NHL's response to #takeaknee and the anthem protests, the role of race, and our utter exhaustion with people being purposefully ignorant about why people are kneeling. Lindsay Gibbs interviews professional baller Kelsey Bone about the anthem protests and her career. As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pile, Bad Ass Woman of the Week,...

On this week's show Julie DiCaro, Lindsay Gibbs, Shireen Ahmed and Brenda Elsey talk about NFL protests, #TakeAKnee and the importance of solidarity. Shireen talks to Essence Carson of the LA Sparks about her The Players Tribune piece, athlete activism, music and the WNBA finals. The BIAD team discusses the latest news from Aaron Hernandez' family, CTE and more. As always, you’ll hear the Burn Pil...

Episode 20 of Burn It All Down is dedicated to former guest of the show and all-around badass in sports media, Jemele Hill. This week, Brenda Elsey, Shireen Ahmed, Julie DiCaro, Lindsay Gibbs, and Jessica Luther discuss the uproar over a series of tweets Hill wrote last week, the intersection of sports and politics, and what it really means when we say sports media is "liberal." And we welcome bac...