Edge of Sports

Edge of Sports episodes:

• 04.22.2024

  The Meaning of Jalen Brunson and the 2024 Playoffs

  This week we discuss why New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson should not be seen is anybody’s underdog. Also, we break down who is going to win the first round playoff, matchups, with an eye on the politics of the...

  
• 04.11.2024

  The Magic of Luka and Kyrie

  Dallas Mavericks’ backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie is the most thrilling guard combo in the league and perhaps ever. Yet very few thought their coming together would work. We explore why. Zirin, “Coaching Great Dawn Staley Defends Trans...

  
• 03.31.2024

  The NBA Road to International Greatness

  Arya joins the pod again to talk about the rising of the international influence of the NBA, it’s early roots, and where the game may be headed.  Zirin, “Online Gambling Has Swallowed Professional Sports” https://www.thenation.com/article/society/online-gambling-sports-shohei-ohtani/ — http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod |...

  
• 03.13.2024

  Future of the Game

  Arya Shirazi joins the show to talk about the current state of the NBA, and we discuss what the implications of this game are moving forward and how we feel about the direction it’s heading aesthetically and as an entertainment...

  
• 03.04.2024

  Irish athlete activist on organizing a sports boycott of Israel

  Rebecca O'Keeffe helped spark an international firestorm within the world of sports when she called on the Irish women’s basketball team to boycott its Feb. 8 match against Israel. While O'Keeffe's calls for a boycott ultimately went unheeded, her actions...

  
• 02.19.2024

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: The Forgotten Stars of the NBA’s 1980s

  In this episode, we talk about the truly forgotten players of the NBA, particularly during the 1980s, such a unique era in the history of the NBA, and theorize on why they are not remembered as intently as others.  ...

  
• 02.09.2024

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: How the Pistons Clawed Their Way to Two Titles

  The 1980s and 1990s were defined by basketball dynasties like the Lakers, Celtics, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Yet in the midst of this unprecedented stretch of dominance, the Detroit Pistons won two and could’ve very easily won four NBA...

  
• 01.29.2024

  Why Haven't the Knicks Won a Championship In 50 Years?

   New York is the Mecca of basketball. So what explains the city’s inability to score an NBA championship in the last half-century. Arya Shirazi joins the show to talk about this historical oddity. Zirin, What Naomi Klein Taught Me...

  
• 01.12.2024

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: Why Didn’t LeBron ever play Kobe in the Finals?

  Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are two of the most defining players of their generation and NBA history. While a considerable portion of their careers overlapped, the two never met in the NBA finals. Why? What would have happened? Arya...

  
• 11.28.2023

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: Steph Curry & the Knicks

  In Part 6 of our series, Basketball Butterfly Effect, Arya Shirazi joins the show again to discuss the 2009 NBA draft and the Knicks coming close to getting Davidson sharpshooter Steph Curry, the most revolutionary player of his generation. You...

  
• 11.13.2023

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: 1993 Draft

  In Part 5 of our series, Basketball Butterfly Effect, Arya Shirazi joins the show again to discuss the 1993 NBA draft and a crucial trade that takes place that changes the course of 90s basketball. You don’t want to miss...

  
• 10.27.2023

  Trans athletes fight for inclusion in sports & racial economy of college football

  Inclusion for trans athletes in sports has become a flashpoint in the culture war that extends from schools to international competitions. Katie Barnes joins Edge of Sports to discuss their new book, Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates,...

  
• 10.23.2023

  What makes Deion Deion And Adam Mansbach Makes It Plain

  This week on the pod, we speak to Jean Jacques Taylor author of the new book Coach Prime. With near total access to Deion Sanders program at Jackson State and explains what makes Deion Deion. Also we speak to best...

  
• 10.07.2023

  Len Bias and the 1980s War on Drugs

  This week on the pod, we welcome back Arya Shirazi to discuss another basketball butterfly effect: what if the NBA had handled the death of Len bias differently? How is that of affected that generation of 1980s players? Zirin,...

  
• 09.30.2023

  Why Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Didn't Stand For The Anthem

  In the early 90s, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had a promising career ahead of him in the NBA as an up-and-coming star. That all changed in 1996 when he refused to stand for the US National Anthem and called the US flag a symbol...

  
• 09.16.2023

  Northwestern's hazing scandal and sports culture w/Byron Hurt

  Officially, hazing is illegal and unwelcome just about everywhere you turn—but it continues as an open secret in far too many fraternities, sports teams, and other institutions. The latest revelations from Northwestern University's football team are a stark reminder that...

  
• 09.09.2023

  Chamique Holdsclaw on Depression and Fame

  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....

  
• 09.01.2023

  Basketball Butterfly Effect Part III: MJ in Portland?

  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...

  
• 08.25.2023

  Basketball Butterfly Effect Part II: The Ballad of Kobe Bean

  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...

  
• 08.13.2023

  Basketball Butterfly Effect: The 2003 NBA Draft

  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...

  
• 08.04.2023

  The Women's World Cup and the fight for equal pay w/ Julie Foudy

  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....

  
• 07.26.2023

  What Happened to Black Activism in Professional Sports?

  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...

  
• 07.19.2023

  150 years of Black activism in sports w/Dr. Harry Edwards

  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...

  
• 07.12.2023

  Solomon Hughes on playing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 'Winning Time’

  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...

  
• 07.05.2023

  1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos on the legacy of the Black Athletic Revolt

  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...

  
• 06.27.2023

  Aaron Maybin: "Athletes aren't superheroes, we're human beings"

  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,...

  
• 06.20.2023

  W. Kamau Bell, the reluctant optimist | Edge of Sports

  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...

  
• 05.26.2023

  Shine On, Denver Nuggets

  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...

  
• 05.02.2023

  Lamar Jackson And The State of the Black Quarterback

  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...

  
• 04.20.2023

  David Aldridge on the end of Dan Snyder

  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

  
• 04.09.2023

  A Radical Retelling of NBA History

  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...

  
• 03.29.2023

  Why the NBA World Lost Its Joy

  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...

  
• 03.17.2023

  Ja Morant on the Edge

  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,...

  
• 03.09.2023

  Hooked On Women's Hoops with Kate Fagan

  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)....

  
• 02.21.2023

  Remembering David Jolicoeur aka Trugoy the Dove

  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...

  
• 02.15.2023

  KD, LeBron and WNBA Shockwaves

  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...

  
• 01.30.2023

  When Fighting Racism, Do Sports Matter?

  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...

  
• 01.23.2023

  Kendrick Perkins on Biography, Basketball, and Black History

  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...

  
• 01.12.2023

  Damar Hamlin and the Year That Was

  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....

  
• 12.12.2022

  Pete Carroll's Magic Shoes and Griner's Freedom

  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....

  
• 12.07.2022

  The Political Story of Charles Barkley

  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...

  
• 11.21.2022

  Is NFL Football A Blood Sport?

  This week we speak to documentarian Isaac Solotaroff about his new project on Al Jazeera English, Bloodsport, a harrowing look at concussions and the NFL. We also talk about a new report that shows early CTE detection could be a...

  
• 11.07.2022

  Unpacking Kyrie Irving

  This week we speak to New York City youth basketball coach - and one time NYC Marathoner - Arya Shirazi about the state of the NBA. We also have ‘Choice Words’ about Kyrie Irving, anti-Semitism, and his frightening new allies.  ...

  
• 10.31.2022

  Why Did The Football World Reject Geno Smith?

  This week we spoke to sportswriter Chuck Modiano about shock NFL MVP candidate Geno Smith, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, Chuck predicted this for Smith when others did not. We talk about what he saw. Also I have a tribute to...

  
• 10.24.2022

  Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Speaks!

  This week we talked to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, former NBA player and legendary athlete-activist about his new book In The Blink of an Eye, his new memoir put out by Kaepernick Publishing. Mahmoud talks about his decision to write about his story,...

  
• 10.10.2022

  Racism and the College Athlete

  This week we talked to Derek Silva, co-author of an article in the Guardian about racial epithets, college athletics, and what occurred at BYU when Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson faced racist taunts and was subsequently told by BYU officials...

  
• 09.09.2022

  Playing Through Fire: Athletes in an Age of Reaction

  Social movements tend to arise within the world of sports during periods of upsurge and upheaval. But what about times of authoritarianism, dictatorship, or even fascism? What is the social role of the athlete during periods of reaction? I recently...

  
• 08.23.2022

  Soccer’s Impact on the Middle East

  This week we talk to Prof. Abdullah Al-Arian, editor of the new book Football in the Middle East about everything from the Qatari World Cup to Palestinian soccer and resistance. We also have “Choice Words” about Serena Williams's retirement, incredible...

  
• 07.25.2022

  David Maraniss On the Politics of Jim Thorpe

  This week we speak to David Maraniss, one of the great journalists of our time, who has written a new book on the extremely well-known but frankly little-known athletic superstar Jim Thorpe and what he faced as a trailblazing indigenous...

  
• 07.08.2022

  This Is America With Howard Bryant

  This week we speak to author Howard Bryant about his recent column on the state of this country as well as his new book on the great Rickey Henderson. We talk about the Supreme Court, where the country is headed, and why...