Burn It All Down

In this episode, Lindsay Gibbs and Jessica Luther talk about the most recent attack on trans women in sports through the new restrictions from FINA, the international water sports governing body. But first, they discuss their favorite time of year...Wimbledon! Then, Lindsay and Jess break down FINA's latest restrictions on transgender athletes, including UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, how recent change...

In this episode, Brenda Elsey interviews women's history professor and author Dr. Bonnie Morris about her book What's the Score?: 25 Years of Teaching Women's Sports History. They discuss the impact of Title IX on women's sports, how teaching Title IX history has evolved since the 90s, the ways women have had more access to sports because of Title IX and who is still left behind. They also discuss...

In this episode, Jessica Luther, Brenda Elsey and Lindsay Gibbs breakdown the impacts of Title IX as the historic legislation turns 50. But first, they talk about their summer vacation plans. Then, they talk about how the passing of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by Congress has impacted women's sports and educational opportunities for the last 50 years. They discuss how the NCAA fou...

In this episode, Amira Rose Davis interviews the one and only Briana Scurry about her new book, My Greatest Save: The Brave, Barrier-Breaking Journey of a World Champion Goalkeeper. They discuss how Briana's family history influenced this book, the ways being an out athlete has changed since Briana played, and they ways we remember, misremember and block out the past. They also discuss Briana's ca...

In this episode, Shireen Ahmed, Lindsay Gibbs and Brenda Elsey talk about what it means when playoffs are boring. But first, they discuss FIFA's outrageous claim that the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be carbon neutral. Then the discuss if boringness, blowouts and sweeps are bad for sport, like the current NBA playoffs, Oklahoma softball, UConn women's basketball and UNC women's soccer. They also disc...

In this episode, Brenda Elsey talks with LA Times Sports Editor Iliana Limón Romero, the first Latina to head a major newspaper’s sports' section, as well as the chair of the Association for Women in Sports Media and co-chair of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Sports Task Force. They discuss how she got to her position, how having diverse voices in the newsroom changes how and wha...

In this episode, Brenda Elsey, Amira Rose Davis and Jessica Luther discuss the wonderful chaos of the Women's College World Series, horse racing and the Belmont Stakes and the French Open. But first they share their favorite twitter follows for levity. With so many sports rolling full steam ahead, everyone shares what competitions they have been all in for. Amira discusses Oklahoma's incredibly do...

In this episode, Brenda Elsey talks with Beth Paretta, CEO and Team Principal of Paretta Autosport about forming the first woman-owned, woman-driven, women-forward team in IndyCar series history when the team successfully qualified for and ran in the Indianapolis 500-Mile race in 2021. They discuss the origins of Beth's passion for the sport, the history of women being kept out of racing and her g...

In this episode, Lindsay Gibbs, Shireen Ahmed and Brenda Elsey discuss the historic equal pay CBA for the USWNT and USMNT. But first, they hold space for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Then, the team recaps why the new collective bargaining agreement between the US Soccer Federation and the US Women's National Team and US Men's National Team is so hist...

In this episode, Amira Rose Davis talks with Dr. Myron Rolle about his recent book The 2% Way: How a Philosophy of Small Improvements Took Me to Oxford, the NFL, and Neurosurgery. They discuss his upbringing in a Bahamian-American immigrant family, completing his long-time dream of becoming a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, his transition from the NFL to becoming a neurosurgeon and how...

In this episode, Amira Rose Davis and Jessica Luther dive deep into Formula One racing. But first, they discuss their favorite show tunes. Then, they put the pedal to the metal on F1. Inspired by the Netflix series Drive to Survive, Amira and Jessica discuss the current racing season, the interdrama of the F1 world, the way drivers navigate power and money and how the TV how has increased US fando...

In this episode, Jessica Luther talks with Faith E. Briggs, a documentary journalist, filmmaker and co-host of the Trail Ahead podcast, wants to make the outdoors a more inclusive place. They discuss how Faith went from competing in track to outdoor endurance running, her film series “Who is a Runner” that focuses on running communities of color, and her work around the intersection of environment...

In this episode, the whole team is together. Jessica Luther, Shireen Ahmed, Amira Rose Davis, Brenda Elsey and Lindsay Gibbs are back to celebrate Burn It All Down turning five years old and their 250th episodes! They share favorite memories, listen to letters from Flamethrowers, reflect on how sports, media coverage and critique have changed for the better and the changes that still need to happe...

In this episode, Jessica Luther talks with Hanif Abdurraqib, poet, essayist and cultural critic, about his love for basketball. They break down the NBA playoffs, WNBA expansion and the romanticized anguish of fandom. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, tran...

In this episode, Shireen Ahmed interviews Corey Erdman, Boxing writer and commentator for DAZN, Boxing Scene and many other outlets. They discuss the historic fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano at a sold out Madison Square Garden on April 30, which was the first time women fighters have headlined at the venue. Corey also talks about the storied history of the two boxers and how the cult...

In this episode, Shireen Ahmed, Jessica Luther and Brenda Elsey convene in the Court of Luther to discuss the men's and women's Champs League Finals. But first, they discuss the importance of access to abortion. Then, the Court of Luther commences to determine who Judge Jessica Luther will root for in the Champs League Finals. In the men's final, which takes place May 28, Shireen argues on behalf...

Eid Mubarak! In this episode, Shireen Ahmed talks with Jamad Fiin, basketball player and social media sensation, currently playing her last season with Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts while getting her Master's Degree in Business Administration. They discuss Jamad's influential and viral social media videos and the importance of visibility of Muslim dress in sport. They also talk about h...

**Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide.** In this episode, Lindsay Gibbs and Amira Rose Davis are back at it with rundown of WNBA news leading up to the start of the 2022 season on May 6. But first, Amira tells Lindsay all about the latest in baseball tech inventions and does a lot of airhorn impressions. Then, they discuss the latest on Brittney Griner's detainment in Russ...

In this episode, Jessica Luther talks to Olympic figure skater and Dancing with the Stars champion Adam Rippon about queerness in figure skating, the challenge of making a living as a skater, everything that happened with Russian skaters at the Beijing Winter Olympics, his transition from competition to media and what inspired his costume design while he was on the ice. This episode was produced b...

In this episode, Amira Rose Davis, Lindsay Gibbs and Jessica Luther discuss TV and film adaptations of sports stories. But first, Amira shares an urgent message of concern about Melissa Lucio, a mother in Texas on death row. To learn how to help, visit the Innocence Project. The team starts the show with a chuckle about the NBA playoffs. Then, inspired by chatter around HBO's The Winning Time, the...

***Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions sexual violence.** In this episode, Jessica Luther speaks with ESPN reporters Paula Lavigne and Tom Junod about Untold, their recent feature that dives deep into a Penn State football player who terrorized women in State College, PA and near his home in Long Island, NY in the late 1970s. We talked about how they came to this story, why it was...

In this episode, Jessica Luther, Amira Rose Davis and Lindsay Gibbs talk NBA Playoffs. But first, the team shares updates on their pets. Then, they discuss the benefits of the play-in format to the NBA playoffs, why they love to see emotion from athletes like Patrick Beverly and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Celtics' momentum, how Covid-19 is impacting the series and predictions on who is going...

In this episode Lindsay Gibbs talks with Jackie Powell, writer for The Next and Bleacher Report on women's basketball. They discuss in-depth the picks and presentation of the 2022 WNBA Draft. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show notes, transcripts, and more info ab...

In this episode, Lindsay Gibbs, Shireen Ahmed and Jessica Luther revisit the recent madness of women's basketball, hockey and tennis. But first, they discuss the event with the green jackets (golf). Then, Lindsay gives a behind the scenes look at her time attending the Women's March Madness tournament, Shireen shares about the latest in women's hockey, including the PHF Isobel Cup, and Jessica tal...

For this week’s interview, Amira Rose Davis and Jessica Luther talked to Austin FC’s goalkeeper, Brad Stuver, about his journey in the MLS, his service in the Austin community and his advocacy for trans youth in sport in Texas. This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network. For show...