Crunching Tackles

Throughout the last century, athletes like Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and Colin Kaepernick have challenged the status quo and stood up to racism in their own unique ways. Today, the Black Lives Matter movement has sent shockwaves around the world after the murder of George Floyd. We look at how the last week has impacted the sports world, discuss the history of racism within sports, and finish by asking what role sports can play in helping fight racism. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue - we're always open to feedback.

Esports are a relative newcomer to the sports world - but with other sports gone, COVID-19 has thrown them into the spotlight over the past few months. We talk about the rise of esports, discuss the ways digital sports might change the rest of sports culture, and answer the question you're dying to hear - are esports really sports? (The answer: we're still not sure.)

Mental health awareness has skyrocketed over the past few years - but sports has often lagged behind. We talk about how the culture of sports surrounding mental illness has shifted, and discuss why the stigma of mental health issues still exists and how we can stop it. Make sure and give it a listen!

The Bundesliga is returning to play this Saturday, so we look at their safety measures and give you a guide to becoming a German soccer fan (for at least the rest of the summer). Expanding on last week's podcast, we also break down why the Equal Pay lawsuit was rejected in court, asking how the USWNT and the USSF should proceed. Let us know your thoughts on the topic, and as always, make sure to subscribe if you enjoy our content!

(Zoom gave us some trouble this week, so we apologize in advance for any fuzzy audio.)

With the news of the dismissal of a key part of the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit, women's sports may be at a crossroads. We talk about the deeper cultural issues surrounding women's sports, and look at some ways that they can establish equality with men's sports, not just financially, but in their role within broader sports culture. We'd love to hear your thoughts and questions on this issue!

The world of soccer can be a little intimidating. So many clubs, so many countries. If you're looking for a guide to picking your team and becoming a die-hard fan, look no further than our expert guide!

We tell you our soccer origin stories and mix them in with some (hopefully) helpful tips on choosing a team. Give it a listen and take a dive into the beautiful game!

As sports leagues across the world continue to wrestle with the issue of paying players during COVID-19, Chad and John take a break from the pandemic to talk about the existence of salary caps in American sports. Are they an effective way to maintain competitive balance? Or do they unfairly limit the earning opportunities of the best players?

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and share it with anyone else who might be interested in this intersection of sports and cultural issues!

With the COVID-19 crisis, many English soccer clubs are in bad financial shape. As clubs cut staff and players are asked to take pay cuts, wealthy players have come under attack from many sectors of society. Are they being unfairly criticized, and do clubs even have the right to demand these pay cuts from their players?

We break down this (disclaimer: somewhat complex) financial issue on this episode and discuss some more sports recommendations for surviving quarantine. As always, make sure to share and subscribe!

In another week without sports, we take a look at the strangest sports out there on this week's episode. Why limit ourselves to talking about basketball when we can talk about underwater rugby? Experience some bizarre new sports, and hear our recommendations on ways to enjoy sports content in quarantine.

After a long hiatus, Crunching Tackles returns with your favorite podcasters recording together from a very safe and socially distant 500 miles apart. We round up some of the recent sports news, talk about how we're coping with the total lack of sports in our lives, and look forward to what might be coming in the next few months.