Pablo Torre Finds Out We All Have a Number
Nov 4, 2025
Pablo Torre welcomes Professor James Waller, an esteemed scholar from the University of Connecticut's Dodd Center for Human Rights. They dive into the wavering athlete resistance against political regimes like Trump and discuss the concept of sportswashing. The conversation also explores the complexities of trans athlete debates, revealing how these issues amplify societal fears and connect to broader oppressions. With insights on the structural power dynamics between players and owners, they highlight sports as a unique platform for accountability.
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Sports Is One Of The Last Common Public Forums
- Sports reaches huge, nonpolitical audiences, making athlete protest uniquely powerful.
- Protests force people who avoided politics to confront social issues in shared spaces like the Super Bowl.
Wealth Dampens Athlete Resistance
- Money and ownership shape athlete behavior and suppress systemic resistance.
- The union and individual calculus often favors cooperation over confrontation because there's so much wealth to share.
Clippers, Aspiration, And A Failed Vetting
- Pablo recounted the Clippers' founding sponsorship saga with Aspiration and Adam Silver's denials.
- The deal collapsed amid fraud, exposing weak vetting by the league and team.