The Sport of Life: Chats w/ Comedians, Filmmakers, Sports Figures, Musicians, & Intellectuals

Standup comedian, tv personality, and actor Howie Mandel chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his April 19th show at Moontower Just For Laughs comedy festival in Austin. Topics include: Performing in Austin (0:51) Serving as a punchline at the start of covid (1:37) The value of discomfort (2:28) Getting passed by Mitzi Shore at the Comedy Store (4:03) His swift ascent in entertainment (7:57) Austin’s...

Standup comedian, podcaster, and actor Bryan Callen chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his participation in Minds Fest at Vulcan Gas Company on Saturday, April 15th. Topics include: An explanation of Minds Fest (1:36) The importance of having hard conversations (3:04) A concerning potential relevance of certain conspiracies (7:03) Questioning the nefariousness of covid policies (8:36) Stylebender’s...

Actors Jeremy Piven and Cary Elwes chat with Trey Elling about SWEETWATER . The film tells the story of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, aka the Jackie Robinson of the NBA, and is out in theaters on April 14th. Jeremy Piven (1:31) Cary Elwes (10:36)

Actor, writer, and storyteller Paterson Joseph chats with Trey Elling about THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLES IGNATIUS SANCHO: A NOVEL . Sancho is an important figure in British history, who on top of being an 18th century abolitionist, writer, and composer, he was also the first British African to vote in Great Britain. Topics include: A brief introduction of Charles Ignatius Sancho (0:46) What Pater...

Emmy-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis chats with Trey Elling about CATCHING LIGHTNING . The new four-part documentary series on Showtime, directed by Kondelis, details the life of "Lightning" Lee Murray, a British MMA fighter with superstar potential, whose career and freedom came to an end abrupt after he was discovered to have pulled off the largest cash heist in British history. Topics...

The main cast of AIR , chats with Trey Elling, ahead of its world premiere at  @SXSW  . The film tells the story of how Nike and a young Michael Jordan came together for a shoe deal, whose long term effects completely altered the social fabric of basketball, shoe culture, and life. Interview subjects include: Writer Alex Convery (2:10) Chris Messina (6:06) Chris Tucker (8:40) Jason Bateman (12:07)...

Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Health Policy and Politics at Lehigh University Eduardo J. Gómez chats with Trey Elling about JUNK FOOD POLITICS: HOW BEVERAGE AND FAST FOOD INDUSTRIES ARE RESHAPING EMERGING ECONOMIES . Topics include: The book's inspiration (0:52) Why he focused on Mexico, Brazil, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa (4:10) What he means by 'junk...

Bob Odenkirk & Mireille Enos chat with Trey Elling on the red carpet at SXSW 2023, ahead of the premiere of their new AMC series, LUCKY HANK . Plus, a surprise interview with Mireille's husband, actor Alan Ruck! Mireille Enos (1:54) Alan Ruck (5:09) Bob Odenkirk (7:55)

New York Times -bestselling author, screenwriter, and journalist Dan Lyons chats with Trey Elling about STFU: THE POWER OF KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT IN AN ENDLESSLY NOISY WORLD . Topics include: The book's inspiration (0:38) 'Talkaholism' compared to alcoholism (1:25) Neurological differences in over-talkers (3:21) Talkaholism at its worst (5:49) How over-talking can worsen anxiety (9:53) The value...

Renowned security technologist and New York Times bestselling author Bruce Schneier chats with Trey Elling about A HACKER'S MIND: HOW THE POWERFUL BEND SOCIETY'S RULES, AND HOW TO BEND THEM BACK . Topics include: A definition of hacking (1:03) The “Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich” tax hack (2:30) Defending against ‘bad’ hacks (3:34) Why kids are such natural hackers (9:06) Hacking the airlines...

Oncology and hematology expert Chadi Nabhan, MD, chats with Trey Elling about TOXIC EXPOSURE: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE MONSANTO TRIALS AND THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE . Dr. Nabhan served as the expert witness on Non Hodgkin Lymphoma for plaintiffs in the first three cases against Monsanto and glyphosate, the primary ingredient in their Roundup herbicide. Topics include: How Chadi’s medical training to...

University of Texas at Austin faculty member Sam Woolley, whose expertise focuses on the use of propaganda in new media and emerging technologies, chats with Trey Elling about MANUFACTURING CONSENSUS: UNDERSTANDING PROPAGANDA IN THE AGE OF AUTOMATION AND ANONYMITY . Topics include: The book’s goal (1:12) How propaganda initially came to be (2:20) Jacques Ellul’s influence on Sam’s belief’s (6:05)...

In the second of a two-part conversation, investigative journalist and bestselling author Jeff Guinn chats with Trey Elling about WACO: DAVID KORESH, THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, AND A LEGACY OF RAGE . You can find part 1 of this interview HERE . This time around, the focus is on the 51-day seige, and fatal mistakes made by ATF- and FBI leadership. Topics include: How the ATF ended up on the Branch David...

Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Jeff Guinn chats with Trey Elling about WACO: DAVID KORESH, THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, AND A LEGACY OF RAGE . In the first- or a two-part conversation, Jeff and Trey discuss the evolution of the Branch Davidians and David Koresh's rise within the religious organization. Topics include: The book's genesis (1:26) 20 ATF agents going on-record...

Yale School of Medicine physician and researcher F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE, chats with Trey Elling about HOW MEDICINE WORKS AND WHEN IT DOESN’T: LEARNING WHO TO TRUST TO GET AND STAY HEALTHY . Topics include: Goal with the book (0:00) Pharma’s role with patient mistrust (1:57) Pharma’s influence on doctors (6:49) Generic drugs not such an easy fix (10:22) How medical errors commonly lead to death...

Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin chats with Trey Elling about PUNK PARADOX: A MEMOIR . Topics include: Goal with the book (0:00) His first taste of live music (2:40) Trauma in rural Kansas in 1976 (4:18) The initial appeal of punk (7:57) A love for The Jackson 5 (10:25) The ugly reality of punk in 1984 (12:11) How lizards are like lead singers (13:41) A change in Bad Religion’s crowd in the late...

New York Times bestselling author James Rickards chats with Trey Elling about SOLD OUT: HOW BROKEN SUPPLY CHAINS, SURGING INFLATION, AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY WILL SINK THE GLOBAL ECONOMY . Topics include: Book's goal (0:00) The magnitude of the supply chain (2:50) The new science of supply chain management (7:19) The start of an ongoing trade war between the US and China (11:39) How Covid 19 cont...

Standup comedian Gianmarco Soresi chats with Trey Elling, ahead of his shows at Cap City Comedy Club on January 6th & 7th . Get tickets HERE . Topics include: Performing in Austin (0:00) Suffering through the Whole 30 diet (1:47) Cutting his teeth in NYC at LOL Comedy Club in making it to the Comedy Cellar (3:45) Feedback (5:45) Taking a comedy class at Caroline's Comedy Club (7:49) How to pul...

Heather Radke, a writer and contributing editor/reporter at Radiolab , chats with Trey Elling about BUTTS: A BACKSTORY. Topics include: Heather's goal with Butts (0:00) The gluteal cleft (2:13) Why humans evolved to have butts (3:31) How the butt is a Swiss Army Knife (5:26) Male peacocks and the female human butt (7:07) The modern objectification of the female butt beginning with Sarah Baartman 2...

Dr. Rick Johnson chats with Trey Elling about NATURE WANTS US TO BE FAT: THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND WHY WE GAIN WEIGHT AN HOW WE CAN PREVENT--AND REVERSE--IT . Listen to part one of their conversation HERE . Topics in part two include: Why sugar/fructose can fuel problems like ADHD (0:00) Drinking vs eating fructose (10:42) Fructose in vegetables and fruits (17:51) Dairy and the 'survival switc...

Physician, researcher, and author Dr. Rick Johnson chats with Trey Elling about NATURE WANTS US TO BE FAT: THE SURPRISING SCIENCE BEHIND WHY WE GAIN WEIGHT AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT--AND REVERSE--IT . Topics include: The book's goal (0:00) When & why excess weight is beneficial to animals (2:32) Why humans evolved to be so sensitive to fructose (8:40) Uric acid's connection to fructose and weight...

Washington Post food expert Mary Beth Albright chats with Trey Elling about EAT & FLOURISH: HOW FOOD SUPPORTS EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING . Topics include: The book's inspiration (0:28) "How" we eat impacting mental health (2:09) The health benefits of eating together (4:32) How the nervous system connects food and emotions (7:47) Sound as the secret sensory ingredient to food (9:49) Celebrating acco...

Multi-platinum record producer-turned-neuroscientist Susan Rodgers chats with Trey Elling about THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE: WHAT THE MUSIC YOU LOVE SAYS ABOUT YOU . Susan is best known for her work with Prince during his peak creative years (1983-87).  Susan’s unique path from award-winning sounder engineer and record producer to neuroscientist (1:43) How Miles Davis changed her perspective...

New York Times Bestselling author Jeff Pearlman chats with Trey Elling about THE LAST FOLK HERO: THE LIFE AND MYTH OF BO JACKSON. Topics include: How he got the nickname "Bo" (0:26) Why young Bo cleaned his act (1:30) Bo the high school football player (3:16) Choosing college football over pro baseball and Auburn over Alabama (4:06) How Bo helped "kill" Bear Bryant (5:39) Bo's first season in coll...

Humanitarian Nate Boyer chats with Trey Elling about MVP , a film Nate co-wrote, directed, and starred in. Topics include: The starting point for this project (:30) When it was decided he would play the lead AND direct (5:46) Relating to the most emotional moments in the film (12:12) One of the themes in the film that everyone is f-ed up. (17:25) Nate's thoughts on Longhorn football under Steve Sa...