Sports Explains the World

The legend of Rashun Richardson's rise to high school basketball glory crumbles, and a much older man named Sidney Gilstrap-Portley is left to pick up the pieces. What starts as a tale of deceit and second chances, turns into an introspective look at who gets to profit from someone's story. In part two of The Imposter, reporter Max Marshall concludes Richardson's saga, and catches up with the former high school star for an honest conversation.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2017, Rashun Richardson enrolled as a freshman at Hillcrest High School in Dallas. He claimed to be a Hurricane Harvey refugee from South Houston who had just lost his home, and everything else along with it. Just a few weeks later, Rashun became the star of the Hillcrest Panthers varsity basketball team, perennial losers who suddenly found themselves winning big behind an unstoppable player putting up 30, and sometimes 40 points a game. But just after the season, where Rashun was named the district’s offensive player of the year, there’s a knock at his door. It’s the police and they have some questions. Reporter Max Marshall reveals the truth of Hillcrest High’s star, delving deep into a story that’s as much about class and opportunity as sports.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In part three of The Mighty Bucks, the Pinebridge Bucks try to weather the storms of a losing season, dwindling ticket sales and a steep drop in team morale. But the Buck's survival is crucial to the health of all of professional hockey, whether the owner Robert Bailey knows it or not. Could a new coach mean a fresh start for the fledgling team? Reporters Sean and Louise Flynn examine the impact of the small but mighty team hailing from deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In part two of The Mighty Bucks, the town of Spruce Pine falls in love with the Pinebridge Bucks, even if the stands are full of novice hockey fans. The Bucks players become local celebrities around Spruce Pine, as the Bucks represent a first step and even a last hope for NHL prospects. The financial realities of fielding a professional sports team prove to be tricky, and are complicated even more by a mysterious religious cult that tries to lay claim to Robert Bailey's business.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1983, Spruce Pine, North Carolina set a record for the smallest town to ever have a professional sports team, a record that remains intact to this day. In an act of perseverance and blind ambition, a remote town of only 2,000 residents ended up with a 5,000-seat hockey stadium. In part one of The Mighty Bucks, reporters Sean and Louise Flynn introduce us to Robert Bailey, a starry-eyed stove maker who knew nothing about hockey, but battled the elements and mixed expectations to build the Pinebridge Bucks.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In a westside suburb of Cleveland called Brecksville, nothing is more important than football. Well, football and gymnastics. The girls gymnastics team at Brecksville-Broadview Heights has won every single state title since 2002. In Dynasty: The Legend of the Brecksville Bees, reporter Nina Mandell looks back at how the team rose to dominance— starting with the Ganims, an unlikely coaching family, and reveals why the incredible pressure the gymnasts are under this season is a 10 out of 10.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After budget cuts put the fate of the Quinnipiac University women’s volleyball team in jeopardy, the players dug in against an unlikely opponent: competitive cheerleading. The battle didn’t take place on a court, though. It took place IN one. In 2009, the volleyballers, along with the ACLU, sued to have cheerleading officially nixed as an NCAA sport. Their cause was backed by a major corporation that claimed to own cheerleading. In part two of Cheering For Themselves, Reporters Rose Eveleth and Lisa Pollak conclude the Title IX tale that continues to send ripples through cheerleading across the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the early 2000s, a group of coaches banded together to try to make cheerleading an official NCAA varsity sport. But it turns out that was no small feat. The torchbearers faced sexism, disrespect, and a powerful corporation hell-bent on keeping cheerleaders on the sidelines. In part one of Cheering For Themselves, reporters Rose Eveleth and Lisa Pollak tell the story of a group of students and parents who went to the mat to develop cheerleading into a recognized sport.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yao Ming was the number one pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, and he came in with the hope of the entire country of China behind him. Basketball had become a hugely successful American export in the country, and Ming was the face of the confluence between cultures and continents. But after his playing career ended, Ming flipped the script, bringing a talented but largely unproven coach from the US to China to head up the Shanghai Sharks, a professional basketball team Ming bought in 2009. Reporter Kerry Seed follows coach Bob Donewald’s search for basketball salvation and success in Shanghai.Listen to Sports Explains the World on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/sports-explains-the-world/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After suffering sanctions and scrutiny, the Howard University soccer team rises to the top again, earning another chance to play for the national championship in 1974. A win would be redemption for the Bison, who believe they were targeted unfairly. Reporter Mark Wright dives back into the story with five decades of hindsight to examine the NCAA's decision to strip the Bison of their 1971 title.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.