This week on Sportly, Kavitha Davidson sits down with acclaimed political sports writer Dave Zirin for a no-holds-barred conversation about the intersection of sports, politics, and society. They discuss the idea of “dual realities” in media and how race, gender, and representation are often portrayed in sports narratives.

The episode takes a closer look at the controversial trend of “sportswashing,” from Saudi Arabia’s massive investments to the NBA’s growing presence in the UAE. Zirin doesn’t hold back as he unpacks the complexities and contradictions of global sports institutions, shedding light on how these issues impact fans and athletes alike.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on behind the scenes of major sports events, this is the episode for you!

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Join us as we create new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more information at ⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠.

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You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠[email protected]⁠

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Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

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What happens when national pride meets global identity? Morocco’s epic World Cup run in 2022 wasn’t just a Cinderella story; it was a masterclass in building a team from abroad. In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson unpacks how foreign-born players are transforming international soccer. From FIFA’s game-changing rule tweaks to Qatar and the UAE’s controversial recruiting strategies, we are asking, where’s the line between heritage and hired guns?

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, get ready for the politics, pride, and power plays shaping the future of the sport.

(This episode is a rerun from June 2025)

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writers: Nicholas Black & Kavitha Davidson I Fact Checking and Research: Shahmeer Nawaz I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

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Jason Belmonte or "Belmo" is widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport. However, if you ask him, he's not done yet. With 15 major championships and records that may never be broken, he is methodically chasing a legacy that would put the debate to rest once and for all.

In this conversation, Kavitha talks to Belmo about the invisible playing field that makes professional bowling so brutally unforgiving, what it felt like to chase history in real time, life on a grinding tour that doesn't get nearly enough respect, and what he still has left to prove.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What happens when a Black icon refuses to make white audiences comfortable?

Today, we’re sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives, and a special episode about Muhammad Ali. Every week, hosts Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to explore the story behind the icons who shape our culture—trailblazers like David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, and Tina Turner—and better understand how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape.

This episode traces Muhammad Ali’s BBC interviews—full of swagger and wit, fury and fallout—to reveal how he reshaped media, protest and public speech. If you like what you hear, find more episodes of Big Lives wherever you get your podcasts.

Show link: https://lnk.to/BBCSportly

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

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The creator of "Art But Make It Sports", LJ Rader, is a lifelong sports professional who has worked for NBC Sports, won an Emmy, and spent nearly a decade at Sportradar, all while quietly teaching himself art history through museum visits, auction houses, and gallery trips.

What started as a personal joke on his Instagram - pairing sports photos with fine art - became Art But Make It Sports, an account that now reaches hundreds of thousands of followers and has earned him the admiration of educators who use his posts to teach kids about art history. Oh, and a lot of accusations that he's using AI. He's not.

In this episode, Kavitha sits down with LJ to talk about how he actually builds each post, from sourcing the right image to going frame by frame through game footage to find the perfect shot, how he navigates being a self-taught outsider in the notoriously siloed art world, why sports photography deserves to be treated as an art form in its own right, and what's next for him as he leaves his day job to go all in on FanFlare, a new sports data app built around women's volleyball.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a re-run of Sportly's April 2025 episode: "Pilates Wasn't Always White - Here's What Changed "

Pilates may be marketed as a path to wellness and elegance, but who is it

In this episode of Sportly, host Kavitha Davidson explores

Kavitha traces the hidden contributions of Black pioneers like Kathy Grant and the rise of inclusive movements like Black Girl Pilates. What does it mean when an exercise promising strength and balance becomes a symbol of exclusion? And how can we reclaim it for everyone?

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

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What does faith have to do with baseball? More than you might think. "Baseball Beyond Belief" is a new documentary that explores the deep and often surprising connections between spirituality and America's favorite pastime. In this episode, Kavitha Davidson sits down with two of the people behind the film: director John Scheinfeld and Father Tom Gibbons. Together, they talk about what inspired the film, what it means to find the sacred inside a stadium, and why the rituals of baseball and religion might not be so different after all. Whether you're a devoted fan, a person of faith, or just someone who has ever felt something bigger than themselves in a packed ballpark, this is a conversation worth having.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

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WrestleMania 42 promises all the spectacle fans have come to expect, with headline matches like Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns carrying deep personal stakes and years of history.

On the surface, the event has all the ingredients of a classic. Larger-than-life personalities, emotional storytelling, and career-defining moments. But as anticipation builds, so does a growing sense of unease about how these stories are being shaped, and who is really in control behind the scenes.

In this episode, Kavitha Davidson explores how the influence of TKO Group Holdings is reshaping WWE: from the controversial involvement of Pat McAfee in a central storyline to the increasing presence of sponsorships, corporate strategy, and media partnerships. As the lines between storytelling and business continue to blur, WrestleMania is no longer just about what happens in the ring. It’s about the power dynamics shaping the product itself, and what that means for the future of professional wrestling.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Kavitha interviews journalist and author A.M. Gittlitz about his new book Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team. Kavitha and Gittlitz unpack the long history behind the New York Mets, from their 19th-century roots tied to political machines like Tammany Hall to their modern identity as an underdog franchise in a city dominated by the New York Yankees. The conversation explores how baseball itself was shaped by class dynamics, how the sport evolved from player-run chaos into an owner-controlled business, and why the Mets have come to be seen as a “people’s team.”

They also dig into what makes Mets fandom distinct. The idea is that the team isn’t cursed, but instead represents something more chaotic and, at times, more meaningful than winning. From the mythology of the 1969 black cat to Dom Smith’s 2020 walkout, Gittlitz argues that the most important moments in Mets history aren’t always championships. They are the ones where baseball intersects with politics, culture, and identity. The result is a conversation that goes beyond the Mets vs. Yankees rivalry and asks a bigger question: what does it actually mean to root for a team, and what are fans really investing in when they do?

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sportly brings you an episode from Hysteria: A Basketball Podcast, which explores why Indiana sits at the heart of the sport, and how the women’s game has finally reached a long-awaited breakthrough.

Women’s basketball is having a moment, but the rise of the game has been decades in the making. In this episode of Hysteria, host Julie Roe Lach (Executive Vice President External Relations and Community Engagement Pacers Sports & Entertainment) traces the journey from pioneers like Cheryl Miller who played with little national attention to today’s sold-out arenas and record-breaking audiences.

Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings reflects on leading the Indiana Fever to the

The talent has always been there. Now the world is finally watching.

Host: Kavitha A. Davison | Producer: Paroma Chakravarty I Executive Producer: Saadia Khan | Writer: Emmanuelle Monahan | Fact Checking and Research: Paroma Chakravarty I Sound Designer & Editor: Paroma Chakravarty I Sportly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art Graphic Designer: Sarah DiMichele

Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify to help more people find us! 

You can reach the host, Kavitha, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Sportly on Instagram @sportlypod

Follow us on TikTok @immigrantly 

Sportly is an Immigrantly Media Production

For advertising inquiries, you can contact us at [email protected]

Want to go deeper into your own identity? Download Belong on Your Own Terms, the app helping first-gen, second-gen, and third-culture kids reclaim belonging on their own terms. 

link below

⁠http://studio.com/saadia⁠

Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can get more

information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Remember to subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Apple podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠channel⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices