
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Why do we love football so much? Why does this sport dominate American culture in a way nothing else can? Why does it feel essential even to people who barely like sports? And what does it say about us that we keep watching, even as the risks and contradictions become harder to ignore?
Today’s guest is Chuck Klosterman, cultural critic and bestselling author, whose new book Football tries to explain the game at the height of its power. Sean and Chuck talk about how football became the defining spectacle of modern America, why it’s easily the best television show we’ve ever seen, and why it presents a ton of moral dilemmas we can’t really solve.
Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)
Guest: Chuck Klosterman, author of Football
We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
By Vox4.5
1060610,606 ratings
Why do we love football so much? Why does this sport dominate American culture in a way nothing else can? Why does it feel essential even to people who barely like sports? And what does it say about us that we keep watching, even as the risks and contradictions become harder to ignore?
Today’s guest is Chuck Klosterman, cultural critic and bestselling author, whose new book Football tries to explain the game at the height of its power. Sean and Chuck talk about how football became the defining spectacle of modern America, why it’s easily the best television show we’ve ever seen, and why it presents a ton of moral dilemmas we can’t really solve.
Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling)
Guest: Chuck Klosterman, author of Football
We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

38,450 Listeners

6,903 Listeners

9,232 Listeners

4,115 Listeners

7,883 Listeners

2,678 Listeners

9,739 Listeners

3,652 Listeners

3,143 Listeners

113,434 Listeners

1,482 Listeners

2,399 Listeners

10,325 Listeners

7,243 Listeners

16,511 Listeners

2,164 Listeners

41 Listeners

23,573 Listeners

739 Listeners

5,593 Listeners

6,492 Listeners

16,507 Listeners

2,310 Listeners

1,216 Listeners

1,607 Listeners

150 Listeners

1,798 Listeners

1,474 Listeners

631 Listeners

436 Listeners

34 Listeners