Edge of Sports

As 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...

In 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...

We 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 o...

The 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 c...

In 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 politi...

Today 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...

The 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....

The 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 swim...

Our 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 Louisvill...

The 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 respond...

Today 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. T...

All 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...

Only 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 mo...

The 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 Th...

Fifi 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 Choi...

The 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 o...

This 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 s...

This 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 tra...

Michael 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....

Despite 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...

This 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...

Today's guest hold the informal title of "greatest living sportswriter," Robert Lipsyte. Lipsyte distinguished himself with multiple stints at the New York Times, covering Muhammad Ali when he was still known as Cassius Clay. He is also noted for his recent tenure as an unflinching Ombudsman at ESPN. The author of celebrated books such as "SportsWorld: An American Dreamland" an...

This week, we have the most acclaimed historical documentary filmmaker on earth, Ken Burns. He made ‘Baseball’ and ‘Jazz,’ and now we talk to Burns about his  new two-part PBS documentary 'Jackie Robinson.' It's a powerful back-and-forth about the actuality of Robinson's complicated legacy that goes beyond puff-pieces and Hollywood-myth-making. Burns connects Robinson's struggl...

Today we pay homage to two departed legends of music. First, we have Don Cheadle, star and director of the Miles Davis biopic “Miles Ahead.” Then, DJ Bobbito Garcia remembers his friend Malik Taylor, AKA Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest who passed away last week. Dave’s ‘Choice Words’ are call for NBA Commissioner to move the 2017 All-Star weekend away from Charlotte in light of a recent North C...

Amid political chaos, Edge of Sports looks to a comic mind for order: author and actor Judah Friedlander. As Frank Rossitano on 30 Rock, Friedlander was known for his “World Champ” trucker hats, and it does not escape Judah that Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” cap bears more than a passing resemblance to his signature look. Dave Zirin and Judah talk politics, comedy and ping pong, record...