Edge of Sports

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 heal...

This week on the Edge of Sports Podcast, part three of our discussion with basketball savant Arya Shirazi about basketball butterfly effects. This time we're talking what would have happened if Michael Jordan, on draft night in 1984, had not been drafted by the Chicago Bulls and had instead been selected by the Portland Trail Blazers. Also we have words about the controversy surrounding Michae...

This week on the Edge of Sports Podcast, part two of our discussion with basketball savant Arya Shirazi about basketball butterfly effects. This time, we're talking about what would have happened if Kobe Bryant, on draft night 1996, had not been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and had instead been kept by the Charlotte Hornets. Also, we have words about the controversy surrounding Michael Ohe...

This week we speak to basketball savant Arya Shirazi about what could have happened if the Detroit Pistons had drafted Carmelo Anthony instead of Darko Milicic in 2003. It would have been a profound basketball butterfly effect. I also speak about the USWNT getting bounced from the World Cup. Zirin, Why the Right Wanted the USWNT to Lose https://www.thenation.com/article/society/reactionary-defeati...

As two-time defending champions, the US is the team to beat in this year's FIFA Women's World Cup. Long considered one of the best soccer teams in the world, the US Women's National Team hasn't always been given its dues. Former captain Julie Foudy joins Edge of Sports for a look back on the evolution of women's soccer. Zirin, Carli Lloyd’s Attacks on the USWNT Are Personal—and...

The growth of the Black Lives Matter movement through the 2010s catalyzed a resurgence of Black activism in professional sports that had its climax in 2020 with the athletes' boycott following the shooting of Jacob Blake . Just a few years later, this energy seems to have dissipated. What happened, and how can we comprehend these recent events in the longer arc of Black activism in sports? Spo...

The central place of sports in American life lends immense influence to athletes to shift the culture of the country—and for more than 150 years, Black athletes have done just that. Few scholars are as attuned to the intricacies of this history as renowned sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards. From his role in shaping the events of the 1968 Olympics to the politics of Colin Kaepernick, Edwards is just as...

From 1979 to 1991, the Los Angeles Lakers would become a dominant force in the world of professional basketball and in American culture more broadly. Led by coach Pat Riley and star players Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the “Showtime” era of the Lakers is still, in many ways, the standard by which other sports dynasties are measured today. On the court, in the locker room, and be...

Body:  The year 1968 was a time of rebellion across the US and the wider world. Tremendous demonstrations and rebellions shook American cities in opposition to the Vietnam War, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the arrest of Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Amidst this tumult, two athletes, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, captured the spirit of the times by raisi...

After four years as a professional linebacker for football teams in the U.S. and Canada, Aaron Maybin put down his helmet and picked up a range of new hats off the gridiron. As a public school teacher, artist, and activist, Maybin's best days are still yet to come. Aaron Maybin joins Edge of Sports for a wide-ranging conversation on the boxes athletes get placed in, racism within the NFL, and...

In this episode of Edge of Sports, host Dave Zirin highlights two takes on the gender politics of sports culture.  Dr. Cheryl Cooky  joins the Ask a Sports Scholar segment to discuss the history of sports and gender equality, as well as her book,  No Slam Dunk: Gender, Sport, and the Unevenness of Social Change . Finally,  W. Kamau Bell  climbs aboard for a special interview looking back on his ca...

This week we look with the great Washington Post journalist Michael Lee at what makes the Denver Nuggets and their star player Nikola Jokic so special. Also, I have a lot of “Choice Words” about the passing of Jim Brown.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, we talk to Prof. Louis Moore, author of " We Will Win The Day," about Lamar Jackson's new contract, the NFL Draft, and what both say about the state of the Black Q.B. in the NFL. I have some Choice Words about France on the precipice of both the Olympics and social chaos. We've got a Just Stand Up award for Miami Heat legend...

This week we speak to Washington media legend David Aldridge about the forthcoming sale of the Washington football team by its much-loathed owner Dan Snyder.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we speak to Theresa Runstedler, author of the book Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA. We'll have Choice Words about what Caitlin Clark has taught us throughout the fallout after the NCAA women’s championship game. We also have Jake’s Takes on the NBA finals and more.  Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podca...

On this episode of  Edge of Sports, we speak to Michael Lee of the Washington Post about why this has been the most dispiriting NBA season in recent history. We don’t just catalog the moments, though. We also try to understand the underlying issues. We have Choice Words about the late Willis Reed, and what his life meant for the New York Knicks as well as the city. We have a Just Stand Up awards f...

On this episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, we speak to Daily Memphian columnist Chris Herrington about the personal troubles of Memphis Grizzlies point guard and budding icon Ja Morant. We talk about the Grizzlies, the city of Memphis, and what’s next for the superstar point guard. We have Choice Words about the MVP debate going on between Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis. We also have a Just Stand...

On this episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, we speak to author and sports opinionist Kate Fagan about her new illustrated history of the women in basketball, Hoop Muses: An Insider’s Account to Pop Culture and the (Women’s Game) . The book is illustrated by Sophia Chang and curated by the legendary hoopster Seimone Augustus. Fagan and I talk about her inspiration, creative process and what it w...

This week we speak to Program Manager for KGNU Community Radio, and founder of the decades strong Hip Hop group Council of Word, Dave Ashton about the legacy of David Jolicoeur aka Trugoy the Dove, who passed away last week, and his groundbreaking hip hop group De La Soul.  We also have ‘Choice Words’ about this year’s Super Bowl.” We got ‘Just Stand Up’ and 'Just Sit Down’ awards to Ron DeSan...

This week we speak to commentator and hoops legend Christy Winters Scott about the shockwaves that have roiled the worlds of hoop in both the WNBA and NBA. We talk about the Durant trade and the big moves in both the WNBA and NBA as well as why the DMV continues to produce incredible basketball talent.  We also have ‘Choice Words’ about LeBron breaking Kareem’s all-time scoring record.” We got ‘Ju...

This week we talk to Ian Kennedy author of the new book  On Account of Darkness: Shining a Light on Race and Sport.  We also speak to Michael Lee of the Washington Post about the reaction by the NBA to the police murder of Tyre Nichols.  We also have ‘Just Stand Up’ and 'Just Sit Down’ award to everyone lifting up their voice to protest the police murder of Tyre Nichols, and Los Angeles Mayor...

On this week's episode of Edge of Sports, we speak to 14-year NBA veteran and basketball analyst Kendrick Perkins about his new book, The Education of Kendrick Perkins , co-written with Seth Rogoff. We talk about Beaumont, his upbringing, and some NBA basketball. We also speak about Tony Dungy and his history of bigotry covered in “kindness.” We have a Just Stand Up award for Cyd Ziegler, who...

This week we talk about the sports year that was 2022, in all its pain and promise. We also have ‘Choice Words’ about Damar Hamlin, the NFL’s response, and what all of this tells us about the game of football. We also have a special edition of Jake’s Takes, NFL Playoff Edition.  Zirin, Damar Hamlin’s Pain Is Not a Feel-Good Story https://www.thenation.com/article/society/damar-hamlin-nfl-football/...

On this week's episode of the Edge of Sports podcast, we interview radical educator Jesse Hagopian and how a crew of Seattle activists were able to get Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll to wear shoes with a bracing political message. We also have Choice Words about Brittany Griner's release and some words about the lates sportswriting giant, Grant Wahl. We also have a Just Stand Up award...

This week we speak to Tim Bella author of the new “definitive” biography of hoopster and hall of fame talker Charles Barkley. We talk to Bell about how Barkley’s upbringing and experiences shaped Chuck into the person that we see every week on our TV sets. We also have Choice Words about I also have some choice words about the politics surrounding the push for Brittney Griner’s freedom. We have a...