Edge of Sports TV with Dave Zirin

On April 10, OJ Simpson passed away at the age of 76. Although initially catapulted to fame by his career in the NFL and Hollywood, OJ's early success was ultimately eclipsed by his alleged murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her lover, Ron Goldman. The double-homicide, subsequent trial, and acquittal rocked the nation—sparking a media frenzy and a culture war that revolved around questi...

It’s been six years since the IPCC released its 2018 report warning that mean global temperatures would rise past 1.5 Celsius unless drastic action was taken by 2030. While climate change is already impacting all aspects of our lives, there is one area where relatively rapid and meaningful steps could be taken, but have yet to materialize: sports. Rising temperatures, seas, and emissions all call...

Sports gambling's rapid takeover of the professional sports industry is arguably the most important development of our time in the world of athletics. The introduction of legal betting has created a powerful new source of temptation with corrosive effects on fans, players, owners, and ultimately the games themselves. Sports journalist Danny Funt joins Edge of Sports to discuss the phenomenon and h...

After more than 50 years, the Oakland A's announced their departure from the city last year, leaving Oakland bereft of its sports teams after the flight of the Warriors in 2019 and the Raiders in 2020. To the dismay of fans, the A's plan to temporarily relocate to a minor league stadium in Sacramento before permanently moving to Las Vegas in the 2028 season. Former A's catcher Bruce Maxwell joins ...

Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, has come forward with allegations of rape and sex trafficking against Vince McMahon, a co-founder of WWE. McMahon has since resigned from his position as TKO Chairperson. The allegations have rocked the world of professional wrestling, but a look at McMahon’s long career indicates these latest revelations fit a pattern of openly misogynistic conduct stretching b...

The history of white supremacy in US sports culture is as old as the games, and the nation, themselves. Recent years have seen a push to change the names of the most egregious offenders, most notably the former name of the Washington Commanders. Yet some teams' problematic names and histories have comparatively flown under the radar. Such is the case with the Kansas City football team. Radio Host...

Rebecca O'Keeffe helped spark an international firestorm within the world of sports when she called on the Irish women’s basketball team to boycott its Feb. 8 match against Israel. While O'Keeffe's calls for a boycott ultimately went unheeded, her actions have provoked serious debate within Ireland and internationally on the responsibility of athletes to stand up against genocide. O'Keeffe joins E...

The Kansas City Chiefs' victory parade last week turned from a scene of celebration to horror after a mass shooting killed one person and injured 22 others, including 11 children. While Democrats have rightfully taken aim at Missouri's loose gun laws, there's more to America's gun violence epidemic than laws alone. From westward expansion to the US-Israeli bombardment of Gaza today, American gun c...

Most ultimate frisbee players don’t have to consider how an Israeli checkpoint might disrupt their plans for a game—but this is the reality of life in Palestine. The story of the small but vibrant subculture of Palestinian ultimate frisbee enthusiasts offers a glimpse into life under Israeli occupation that is too often unseen by the outside world. Edge of Sports host Dave Zirin speaks with Daniel...

In a startling 44% increase from the previous year, an estimated $23 billion will be spent on sports betting on Sunday’s Super Bowl game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Just a generation ago, gambling was regarded as an intolerable pollutant on the integrity of sports that could never be permitted in professional leagues. Now, the legal sports betting industry has becom...

Super Bowl LVII in 2023 was the most-watched US telecast in history, and with well over 100 million people expected to tune in on Feb. 11, Super Bowl Sunday will provide one of the biggest platforms on Earth for pro-Israel groups to attempt to justify Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza. The Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism, which is owned by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the NFL's N...

The sports world has largely been silent in the face of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Yet former NBA player Tariq Abdul-Wahad is standing up and speaking out in support of a ceasefire and the rights of Palestinian people. Tariq Abdul-Wahad joins Dave Zirin to discuss his support for Palestine and the responsibilities of his fellow athletes in this moment. Studio Production: Cameron Granadino Post-Pro...

While certain iconic athletes of color have become immortalized in history, many of the earliest trailblazers who fought rampant discrimination to compete and triumph in sports have yet to receive their dues. Sports historian Arif Khatib joins Edge of Sports to discuss his new book, Remember Their Sacrifice: Stories of Unheralded Athletes of Color . Studio Production: David Hebden Post-Production:...

As in most of the world, soccer, or football, is an immensely popular sport among Palestinians. From Gaza to the West Bank to the diaspora, the Beautiful Game plays a crucial role in the social life of Palestinian people. So of course, soccer is not immune from Israel's war against Palestinian existence. While some fans and a handful of players have dared to speak out against Israel's genocide, ma...

Black athletes have not only changed how the game of soccer is played; around the world, they've also harnessed their positions to fight for justice and political change through the sport of soccer itself. In the latest "Ask a Sports Scholar" segment, Edge of Sports host Dave Zirin speaks with Dr. Jermaine Scott about his forthcoming book Black Soccer: Football and Politics in the African Diaspora...

The silence of the pro sports world in the face of Israel's genocide in Gaza continues to disappoint. US sports organizations are among the worst offenders—with many leagues implementing flag bans and suffocating dissent under a culture of silence. Beyond US borders, it's Muslim and Arab athletes who are setting the standard for solidarity. Take French soccer player Karim Benzema, who has endured...

The silence of the sports world in the face of Israel's genocide in Gaza grows more deafening by the day. Only a few athletes like Anwar El-Ghazi of the Netherlands have dared to take a public stand in support of Palestine—and in El-Ghazi's case, he has paid for it with his job. In times like these, attempts to remain apolitical are simply unacceptable. Dave Zirin takes aim at the silence of the s...

Read the transcript of this podcast: https://therealnews.com/5-reasons-you-should-oppose-the-olympics-coming-to-your-hometown The Olympics are a widely anticipated and celebrated extravaganza of the greatest athletic feats of humankind. They're also an increasingly controversial and maligned circus of corruption, gentrification, and exploitation. Former professional and Olympic athlete Jules Boyko...

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's war on education has been a major pillar of his administration, and the tiny liberal New College of Florida is now a laboratory for his political agenda. Dave Zirin speaks with Mike Sanderson of the "Save the New College of Florida" movement on the right-wing takeover underway, and the role of sports in making it happen. Read the transcript of this podcast here . St...

People-to-people exchanges between the people of Cuba and the US are rare due to the over 50-year US blockade against the island. But this August, a group of Cuban youths traveled to Williamsport, PA to participate in the Little League World Series. Daniel Montero, a filmmaker with Belly of the Beast Cuba , released a special documentary on the stories of the Cuban Little League team and their fam...

In the early 90s, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had a promising career ahead of him in the NBA as an up-and-coming star. That all changed in 1996 when he refused to stand for the US National Anthem and called the US flag a symbol of oppression. The NBA retaliated by suspending him, and Abdul-Rauf spent the next two decades playing exclusively for international leagues. On this episode of Edge of Sports, Abdu...

The view of college athletes as unpaid workers is gaining currency among the public. Of course, it's one thing to have an analysis of how universities exploit their students—it's another to know what to do about it. What about unionization? College Football Players Association founder and Executive Director Jason Stahl joins Edge of Sports for a deep dive into the merits, challenges, and opportuni...

Officially, hazing is illegal and unwelcome just about everywhere you turn—but it continues as an open secret in far too many fraternities, sports teams, and other institutions. The latest revelations from Northwestern University's football team are a stark reminder that we have a long way to go to uproot the culture of hazing for good. Anti-gender violence activist and documentarian Byron Hurt jo...

Chamique Holdsclaw's legendary status was apparent from the moment she entered professional sports. After helping the US National Team win the Gold Medal in the 1998 Berlin Olympics, Holdsclaw was named Rookie of the Year in her first WNBA season. Her talent on the court and success in the WNBA projected an image of stability, but away from the cameras, Holdsclaw struggled with her mental health....

Edge of Sports is back! In this Season 2 premiere, former St. John’s University Assistant Soccer Coach Jim Keady joins Dave Zirin to talk about why he left college coaching in protest of Nike sweatshop labor. He then spent a month in Indonesia exposing the company’s sweatshop abuses, making the film “Behind the Swoosh.” We also discuss the recent film “Air,” about Nike’s relationship with Michael...