The Power of Sports

In this episode, we speak with  Professor Robin Kietlinksi  of LaGuardia Community College about Olympic “legacy”, sustainability, and the notion of greenwashing. Prof. Kietlinski has done some fascinating on-the-ground research about the rhetoric of sustainability and legacy of these Tokyo Olympics, and the reality that is sometimes obscured by it.  

Dr. George Selleck was an All-American at Stanford University who was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors, but instead of becoming a professional basketball player, he chose to become a Presbyterian minister and later pursue a PhD in counseling psychology. Dr. Selleck has since devoted his life to reminding Americans that there is much more to life than sports, but that sports can help you learn...

In this episode, our guest is Kevin Streelman , who is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, a deeply devoted Christian and a loving father, husband and friend. Kevin makes abundantly clear that the road to his professional success has been marked by many bumps along the way and has required great discipline, dedication, and gratitude.  He also has some compelling things to say abo...

In this episode, our third on the 2020 Tokyo Games, we hear from two scholars who have been vocal opponents of these Olympics Games: Professor Jules Boykoff of Pacific University and Professor Naofumi Suzuki of Hitotsubashi University . As we heard from Professor Victor Matheson in the last episode, the costs of hosting the Games are enormous, but these costs are not only economic. There are envir...

In episode #5, we again explore issues regarding the 2020ne Tokyo Olympic Games, this time by learning from  Professor Victor Matheson  about Olympic economics. In particular, Prof. Matheson helps us understand why many citizens around the world, including in Japan, have turned against the idea of hosting the Games. This show is built on excerpts from a presentation that Prof. Matheson r...

In this episode, it was a pleasure to speak to  Professor Andrew Billings of the University of Alabama  about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo and how Olympic television broadcasts shape our perceptions about race, gender, and nationality. Our conversation spanned a range of other topics, too, from pandemic safety to the prospects of using sport for building a sense of global citizens...

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome Coach VanDerveer for this third episode of the Power of Sports Podcast. Coach Tara VanDerveer is the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball at Stanford University , and a recent NCAA champion for the third time. She has been coaching at Stanford since 1985, and coaching at the college level since 1978. Her overall coaching record since then is an...

On today’s episode I have the great pleasure of speaking to Robert, aka “Bob”, Whiting, who is the bestselling author of more than a half dozen bestselling books about Japan, including one about baseball that was the first book I ever read about Japan. It’s called You’ve Gotta Have Wa , and you can buy it here . Bob also has a new book called Tokyo Junkie , which we ta...

Hey, thank you for stopping by! Please listen in to this first episode of “The Power of Sports” Podcast, where I talk to loyal sports fan, Jeremy Medovoy, who talks about his long-term love affair with the Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team, and why he has long admired not only their play on the court but also their stances on issues of social justice.  If you have any questions or commen...