Sports and politics have always been intertwined. Sports are where joy and freedom, competition and cooperation, collide, where human beings exceed our physical and psychological limitations, where racial, gender, and class hierarchies can be smashed in society-changing ways. But sports are also the arena where jingoistic nationalism is forged, where militarism and state violence are glorified, where oppressive norms about race, gender, class, and ability are upheld and fortified, where bodies are broken and dreams are shattered for the sake of profit and entertainment. No one has probed the intersection of sports and politics in the US more thoroughly and passionately than Dave Zirin, and TRNN is proud to announce the launch of an all new weekly YouTube show: Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin.
Tune in every Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET for new episodes of Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin, premiering right here on the TRNN YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to our channel, turn on notifications so you never miss a show, and get ready to bring the ruckus!
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LATEST EPISODE
Arab and Muslim athletes lead sports world in Palestine solidarity
Karim Zidan walks us through the varied responses of the international sports world to Israel’s genocide in Gaza—and the role of sports in amplifying change.
Previous Episodes
Anwar El-Ghazi is an example of pro-Palestine solidarity for the pro sports world
The Dutch soccer player, who was fired for using the phrase “From the river to the sea,” should be emulated and admired by fellow athletes who’ve remained silent thus far.
5 reasons you should oppose the Olympics coming to your hometown
As the Olympics returns in summer 2024 in Paris, questions about the ethics, efficacy, and economics of the mega-event once again emerge.
Inside Ron DeSantis’s takeover of a Florida liberal arts college
DeSantis is facilitating a ‘hostile takeover’ of the New College of Florida for political ends, and the aggressive recruitment of Christian college athletes is a key tactic in his crusade.
The NFL and MLB pretend Palestinians don’t exist
In a series of public acts and statements no one asked for, the pro sports leagues have bared unrepentant support for Israel as it pummels Gaza and slaughters thousands.
I occupied the Capitol to demand a ceasefire in Gaza with other Jews
Standing up against oppression and injustice reflects the best of the Jewish political tradition.
The wave of new stadiums is another upward transfer of wealth
New publicly-funded stadium projects in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Milwaukee will transfer billions in public money into private hands.
The study of trans athletes we’ve been waiting for is here
Katie Barnes’s new book, ‘Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates’ offers a sweeping view of the fight for trans inclusion in sports.
Deion Sanders’ haters can’t stand his success
Racist dogwhistles abound when critics pile on the University of Colorado Boulder’s new head football coach, but ultimately, what Sanders’ detractors really can’t stand is how good he is.
Inside Cuba’s first ever Little League World Series appearance
Daniel Montero sits down with Dave Zirin for a follow-up to his documentary ‘Little League Dreams: Cuba’s Road to Williamsport,’ produced by Belly of the Beast.
How Teddy Roosevelt and the thirst for empire made football America’s sport
The origins of American football’s popularity go back to the turn of the 20th century, when the elite of an expansionist USA searched for a sport that would instill rugged manliness in their sons.
Michael Ray Richardson opens up on how the drug war killed his NBA career
In his new book, ‘Banned,’ Michael Ray Richardson wants to provide a new angle on his story.
DeSantis is using sports scholarships to ‘purge’ a Florida college
The New College of Florida has become a testing ground for the governor’s regressive education agenda, and students as well as faculty who stand in the way are getting pushed out.
Two decades before Kaepernick, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf protested the national anthem
The former NBA player looks back on the influence of Malcolm X and the importance of political education in shaping his life.
Let’s call Luis Rubiales’s ‘kiss’ what it was—assault
The now former president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation has disgraced FIFA, the sport, and himself.
College athletes are being exploited. It’s time to unionize.
Universities make fortunes off unpaid athletes who put their health and future at risk for a chance at an education.
Hazing is a scourge on sports that must be eradicated
The latest hazing scandal at Northwestern University should alarm us all—and renew our urgency to remove the culture of hazing from sports.
WNBA legend Chamique Holdsclaw discusses her mental health struggles
For Holdsclaw, the true challenge of a successful pro athlete career wasn’t the physical toll, but battling depression while in the public eye.
The ‘Redskins’ name is never coming back. Get over it.
The belated backlash to the Washington Commanders’ name change has to be viewed in light of the reactionary politics roiling the country.
Only one college coach has ever quit his job in protest of Nike sweatshops
Nike’s contract with St. John’s University was too much for Assistant Soccer Coach Jim Keady, so he quit and spent a month in Indonesia living on $1.25 a day to call attention to their sweatshop labor exploitation.
Reactionary nihilism of Trump and ‘anti-woke’ right on full display after US women’s soccer defeat
The same people who vilify and attack trans athletes, and claim they’re doing so to defend the sanctity of women’s sports, are showing how much they also hate women’s sports and women “who dare not ‘know their place.’”
Megan Rapinoe is retiring as a legend
The soccer superstar will be remembered as one of the game’s greatest athletes, but also as a fierce fighter for social justice.
Julie Foudy on the fight for equal pay in women’s soccer
The former captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team looks back on her career and the evolution of women’s soccer over her lifetime.
Sports betting is a tax on fans—and a ticking time bomb
The industry’s erstwhile disavowal of gambling now seems quaint, as smartphones have made sports betting ubiquitous in professional sports—to the detriment of fans and the games themselves.
Athletes boycotted games in 2020 to demand racial justice. Where’s the fire gone?
Howard Bryant looks back at the past decade of racial justice activism in professional sports—and how different forces have attempted to co-opt it since 2020.
The Washington Bullets gentrified DC Chinatown. Now they might ditch it
The Capital One Arena’s construction flattened a large swath of Chinatown—now, the Wizards potential move to Virginia could once again come at this community’s expense.
How Black athletes shaped 150 years of US politics
Legendary sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards on his ‘Last Lectures,’ which dive into the long history of Black activism in sports.
The Oakland A’s Las Vegas move and Rob Manfred’s insatiable greed
A closer look at the Vegas deal shows that what really matters here isn’t baseball or the fans, but a chance to guzzle as much public taxpayer money as possible.
Actor Solomon Hughes on the dream of playing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The breakout star explains how he went from teaching at Stanford and Duke to starring in HBO’s drama about the rise of the Lakers.
PGA’s shameful merger with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf proves nothing matters except money
After publicly denouncing its competitor on moral and human rights grounds, the PGA Tour is planning to permanently merge with the Saudi-backed golf tour known as LIV, proving that money is all that matters.
1968 Olympian Dr. John Carlos on the legacy of the Black Athletic Revolt
John Carlos raised his fist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics—but he was just one of many Black athletes at the time who used their role in sports to support the fight for justice.
After the NFL, Aaron Maybin turned to his other talents
“If the things that I did on a football field are the greatest representation of who I am as a human being, then I didn’t spend enough time developing myself as a human being.”
W. Kamau Bell, the reluctant optimist
‘Edge of Sports’ returns with show guests W. Kamau Bell and Cheryl Cooky
Edge of Sports: The Exit Interview with DeMaurice Smith
The first episode of Dave Zirin’s new weekly series looks at the NFL’s union, Lamar Jackson’s recent pay deal, and trans kids in sports.