Edge of Sports

Amid political chaos, Edge of Sports looks to a comic mind for order: author and actor Judah Friedlander. As Frank Rossitano on 30 Rock, Friedlander was known for his “World Champ” trucker hats, and it does not escape Judah that Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” cap bears more than a passing resemblance to his signature look. Dave Zirin and Judah talk politics, comedy and ping pong, recorded in a Montgomery County, Maryland library. Then, Dave has some ‘Choice Words’ about baseball diplomacy in Cuba laced with music by Machito, and the ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Serena Williams for rebuking Raymond Moore, former director of the Indian Wells tennis tournament disgraced by his comments belittling female players.—“If the Raindrops United: Drawings and Cartoons by Judah Friedlander”http://judahfriedlander.com/if-the-raindrops-united | http://JudahFriedlander.com | http://twitter.com/JudahWorldChamp | http://fb.com/JudahWorldChamp | http://youtube.com/JudahChampThe Office audition tapes: https://youtu.be/S73Nzksy6rUDave in Progressive: “Play Béisbol! Cuba Thaw Creates New Possibilities” http://progressive.org/news/2016/03/188634/play-b%C3%A9isbol-cuba-thaw-creates-new-possibilitieshttp://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | edgeofsports@slate.com—Music: “Like That” Ardency http://soundcloud.com/ardency | Machito “Babarabatiri” “El Bajo De Chapotin” “Mambo Inn” http://spoti.fi/1oaehtF | Percy Faith & His Orchestra ”Tara’s Theme (Theme from Gone with the Wind)” http://spoti.fi/1UM9vRt Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As college basketball fans descend into March Madness, Edge of Sports offers a wake-up call from Dr. Harry Edwards, renowned sports sociologist and author of the seminal text “The Revolt of the Black Athlete.” Dr. Edwards prescribes a stringent tonic for the NCAA’s ills: a complete dissolution and ground-up reformation focused on academics and athlete equity. Our host Dave Zirin also offers his ’Choice Words’ to the NCAA, drawing inspiration from John Oliver’s brilliant 2015 sendup. Finally, the ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Rory Fanning, an Army Vet and co-author of Craig Hodges’ forthcoming memoir who was among a group of protesters that shut down Donald Trump’s planned rally in Chicago.—Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The NCAA https://youtu.be/pX8BXH3SJn0Zirin: Why Not Even the Mighty John Oliver Can Shame the NCAA http://thenation.com/article/why-not-even-mighty-john-oliver-can-shame-ncaa/—Contact:http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | edgeofsports@slate.com—Music: Aden Dueitt-Piazza “Ufz” http://soundcloud.com/gonjastar | T1R “onepoto” http://soundcloud.com/t1r864 | Miles Davis “On Green Dolphin Street” http://milesdavis.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is one of those dream shows for us at Edge of Sports. We’ve spoken to Kareem. We’ve spoken to Martina. Now we talk to Mick, as in pro wrestling legend Mick Foley. The hardcore legend is also a militant anti-sexist, a Tori Amos fan, and a national spokesperson for RAINN – the Rape Abuse Incest National Network. We in addition get him to answer whether Pro Wrestling deserves some of the blame for the rise of Donald Trump. To help me, I have my friend pro-wrestling aficionado Damian Smith riding shotgun. Also, in our Choice Words section, I speak about the alarming rise in the use of “Trump” as a racial slur at high school sporting events. Lastly, in the just stand up award, a big shout out to the first US Olympian to compete while wearing a hijab: fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.—Mick Foley:http://realmickfoley.comhttp://twitter.com/RealMickFoleyhttp://fb.com/RealMickFoleyRape, Abuse & Incest National Network RAINN http://rainn.org/mickfoleyGet Help Online https://ohl.rainn.org/online/‘Trump’ Has Become a Racial Taunt at High School Sporting Events http://thenation.com/article/trump-has-become-a-racial-taunt-at-high-school-sporting-events/Olympic Fencer, a Muslim, Settled on a ‘Sport Without Alteration’ http://nyti.ms/1LdE7bA—http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | edgeofsports@slate.com--Music: John Legend - Used To Love U (instrumental, Kanye West,) WWE: Wreck (Mick Foley) Theme Song, Winter - Tori Amos, NEDARB NAGROM - "mexikodro listens to american football once" http://soundcloud.com/nedarbnagrom Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We have a show this week that fills me with pride and anger. The pride comes from the fact that we interview two NFL Hall of Fame players who grew up in the Jim Crow south, went to Historically Black Colleges, and played in the 1960s: Willie Lanier and Ken Houston. We hear their stories and it is – to put it mildly - powerful stuff. The anger comes with our opening topic: my thoughts on the cancelling of MSNBC’s The Melissa Harris Perry Show, a place where I was regularly accorded a platform to discuss the politics of sports. After giving my own thoughts, I speak to original Melissa Harris Perry Show producer - and current MTV News journalist - Jamil Smith about the abrupt cancellation of the show. I also give the Just Stand Up Award to a college football team trying to end sexual assault.#NerdlandForever—This episode of Edge of Sports is brought to you by FreshBooks. For the best way to make tax season easy, especially for freelancers like me, get FreshBooks, a cloud accounting software designed exclusively for small business owners and freelancers. Go to http://FreshBooks.com/Edge and enter Edge in the “How You Heard About Us” section for a 30-day free trial.—“Melissa Harris-Perry’s Email to Her #nerdland Staff”https://medium.com/@JamilSmith/melissa-harris-perry-s-email-to-her-nerdland-staff-11292bdc27cb#.nbmyqf9tjcolumn: “Thank You, Melissa Harris-Perry” http://www.thenation.com/article/thank-you-melissa-harris-perry-tears-for-nerdland/Special thanks: Willie Lanier, Ken Houston, George Atallah, Carl Francis, Jamil Smith (http://twitter.com/JamilSmith)—http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | edgeofsports@slate.comMusic by The Funky Meters http://funkymeters.com and a.bee https://soundcloud.com/abe-e Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on Edge of Sports, we have two sports/politics legends of 1968 and we speak to them in front of 500 people in a packed Oakland auditorium. They are DR. JOHN CARLOS, who raised his fist on the medal stand in Mexico City along with Tommie Smith, and the great WYOMIA TYUS, the first person to ever win back-to-back 100 meter gold at the Olympic games in 1964 and 1968. Ms. Tyus also stood in solidarity with John Carlos and Tommie Smith although that has been written out of most mainstream histories. This week’s column read is on “The Hidden History of Muhammad Ali and the Black Panthers” and we give our “Just Stand Up Award” to the Jayhawks: aka the people in the Athletic Department at the University of Kansas.See the full event video: https://youtu.be/soaaLNnXgDoCenter for Sport and Social Justice: http://www20.csueastbay.edu/ceas/cssj/Dave’s column: http://thenation.com/article/muhammad-ali-and-the-black-panther-party/PBS “The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/the-black-panthers-vanguard-of-the-revolution/Special thanks to the Center Sports and Social Justice at Cal State East Bay and Prof. Rita Liberti. —-This episode of Edge of Sports is brought to you by FreshBooks. For the best way to make tax season easy, especially for freelancers like me, get FreshBooks, a cloud accounting software designed exclusivelyfor small business owners and freelancers. Go to http://FreshBooks.com/Edge and enter Edge in the “How You Heard About Us” section for a 30-day free trial.—http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | edgeofsports@slate.com-Music: “Contact!” by The Kount http://soundcloud.com/the-kount, “Volcano Zone” by Ramzoid http://soundcloud.com/ramzoid, “The Champ Is Here” (instrumental) by Jadakiss produced by DJ Green Lantern http://soundcloud.com/djgreenlantern Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Edge of Sports welcomes Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest tennis players ever and one of host Dave Zirin’s political-athlete heroes. Martina made history not just with her utter on-court dominance of the 1980s, but through a remarkable journey away from her family in totalitarian Czechoslovakia, and to a life where she lives today as a political, open LGBT American. This week’s column read is “The Past Is Never Dead: Peyton Manning and Today’s Jock-Rape Culture at Tennessee,” and we give “Just Stand Up Awards” to musicians Win Butler and Kendrick Lamar.—-This episode of Edge of Sports is brought to you by FreshBooks. For the best way to make tax season easy, get FreshBooks, a cloud accounting software designed exclusively for small business owners and freelancers. Go to http://FreshBooks.com/Edge and enter "Edge" in the “How You Heard About Us” section for a 30-day free trial. We’re also sponsored by Casper mattresses. Go to http://Casper.com/Edge for great offers on amazing mattresses, and you’ll be supporting Edge of Sports.—9:54 Sports Illustrated: Jason Collins a 'game-changer' http://on.si.com/1mJ3HJA16:53 Jan Palach Funeral (1969) http://youtu.be/A26Z4MB1yJ818:22 Soviets Put Down Prague Spring (1968) http://britishpathe.com/video/soviets-pu…wn-prague-spring19:34 Navratilova wins 1st US Open over Chris Evert, 1983 http://youtu.be/3LBR1mlKj7A21:28 Mel DiGiacomo: http://northjersey.com/arts-and-entertai….1332027?page=all26:50 Dave Zirin: http://thenation.com/article/the-past-i…ture-at-tennessee/28:42 Shaun King: http://nydailynews.com/news/national/kin…article-1.253039530:58 Jessica Luther: http://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/wit…-explaining-to-do34:25 Win Butler: http://youtu.be/fhxtrSIkseA35:47 Kendrick: http://video.vulture.com/video/Kendrick-L…s-Performance-at—Music: Vytis http://soundcloud.com/vytisbeats | Hamry http://soundcloud.com/hamry | ABBA http://abbasite.com | Floex http://soundcloud.com/floex | Arcade Fire http://arcadefire.com | Kendrick Lamar http://kendricklamar.com—twitter.com/martina | martinanavratilova.comtwitter.com/edgeofsports | edgeofsportspodcast.com | fb.com/edgeofsportspod |edgeofsports@slate.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the aftermath of Super Bowl 50, we look at two figures who personify "Unapologetic Blackness." First, we discuss the indomitable of Cam Newton with former NFL pro, Harvard Business School grad and columnist Domonique Foxworth. Next, we get in ‘formation’ for Beyoncé with Dr. Brittney Cooper AKA Professor Crunk, who schools us on the rich symbolism of Beyoncé’s latest cultural touchstone. Then, Dave Zirin delivers an antiseptic column read: “Super Bowl 50: Brought to You by Toe Fungus,” and finally, a smackdown challenge to Rob Lowe (yes, the actor) who had some choice words for Cam Newton on twitter.—Edge of Sports is brought to you by Harry’s Razors. Save half the price on name brand blades with Harry’s factory-direct prices and a money-back guarantee. When you use the code EDGE at http://Harrys.com, you save $5 on your first purchase, AND you’re supporting this program. We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks. For freelancers and small business owners, FreshBooks takes the pain out of accounting. Have a question about the service? A real-live human will answer every call in about 3 rings. Get your 30-day free trial by going to http://FreshBooks.com/Edge and entering EDGE in the “How You Heard About Us” section.—Beyoncé “Formation” video: http://youtu.be/LrCHz1gwzTo | Beyoncé owns Super Bowl 50 Halftime show: http://youtu.be/L_Hgh7sPDLMDave’s column in TheNation.com: “Super Bowl 50: Brought to You by Toe Fungus” http://www.thenation.com/article/super-bowl-50-brought-to-you-by-toe-fungus/Domonique Foxworthin USA Today: “Why we should celebrate Cam being Cam” http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/02/cam-newton-domonique-foxworth-black-culturehttp://twitter.com/Foxworth24Dr. Brittney Cooper AKA Professor Crunk is an Assistant Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University http://brittneycooper.com | http://twitter.com/ProfessorCrunktwitter: http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | facebook: http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | homepage: http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | email: edgeofsports@slate.comMusic: "Formation" by Beyoncé http://youtu.be/LrCHz1gwzTo | "Formation" Paul Cabbin Instrumental Remake http://paulcabbinbeats.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Edge of Sports Super Bowl Blockbuster Special features radical linguistic theorist Noam Chomsky giving his first-ever sports interview. Today, the MIT professor drops knowledge on the gladiatorial spectacle capturing the world's attention, but far from a sports-grinch, you'll also hear Chomsky re-live his early love affair with baseball. He assesses the phenomena of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump after the Iowa caucuses, and to top it all off - he even gives the long-awaited Chomsky Super Bowl pick. Dave’s column this week is about transformational Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and the ‘Just Stand Up’ award goes to Greek soccer teams who stood up for Syrian refugees by sitting down.—Edge of Sports is brought to you by FreshBooks. For freelancers and small business owners, FreshBooks takes the pain out of accounting. Have a question about the service? A real-live human will answer every call in about 3 rings. Get your 30-day free trial by going to http://FreshBooks.com/Edge and entering the code EDGE.—Links:•Noam Chomsky on Firing Line with William F. Buckley: http://archive.org/details/NoamChomsky-04-03-69-DebateWithWilliamF.Buckley-CompleteTopAudio•Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ‘Doomsday Clock’: http://thebulletin.org/timeline •Climate Change action: http://350.org •Dave’s column “Cam Newton: The Bridge to Somewhere”: http://thenation.com/article/cam-newton-the-bridge-to-somewhere/•Greek match delayed as players stage sit-down protest over migrant deaths: http://theguardian.com/football/2016/jan/30/greek-match-delayed-players-sit-down-protest-migrant-deathsNoam Chomsky website: http://chomsky.infoDave Zirin twitter: http://twitter.com/edgeofsports Podcast homepage: http://edgeofsportspodcast.comEmail: edgeofsports@slate.com_Music: "Look at My Dab" by Migos, Instrumental by DrummaBoy https://soundcloud.com/madedrummaboyfresh | "No Sass" by Photay, Remix by Mitch Website http://soundcloud.com/mitch-website | "The Babylon Device" by Yung Death Ray & Mitch Website https://soundcloud.com/yung-death-ray | "Where Ya At" by Future/Drake Instrumental by Metro Boomin http://soundcloud.com/metroboomin Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today, the video of Dave Zirin's interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is available on TheNation.com, EdgeOfSportsPodcast.com, and YouTube. You'll hear and see aspects of this experience that had to be cut out of the podcast.Short clip: https://youtu.be/hP5aTGcXMwgFull interview: https://youtu.be/9xtI8c0Dg8QIn honor of this release, we're bringing back our conversation with Kareem in its entirety. You can hear something new with every listen.3:11 “These Terrorist Attacks Are Not About Religion”http://ti.me/1x57Sgy10:13 “This is the difference between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders” http://wapo.st/1NY53ug10:59 “The Coming Race War Won’t Be About Race“http://ti.me/1mZr2Rc30:27 “College Athletes of the World, Unite”http://jacobinmag.com/2014/11/college-athletes-of-the-world-unite/33:53 “Mycroft Holmes” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbarhttp://titanbooks.com/mycroft-holmes-7528/Kareem's latest article:  Why Black People Are 'Invisible to Oscar Voters hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-why-black-859551The HBO Documentary 'Minority of One' hbo.com/kareemLinks to Kareem: kareemabduljabbar.com | twitter.com/kaj33 | facebook.com/kajLinks to Dave: edgeofsportspodcast.com | twitter.com/edgeofsports | fb.com/edgeofsports | email: edgeofsports@slate.com—This episode is brought to you by Harry’s Razors. Save half the price on name brand blades with Harry’s factory-direct prices and a money-back guarantee. When you use the code EDGE at Harrys.com, you save $5 off your $15 starter set AND you’re supporting this program.—Music: Bobby Hutcherson (Goin’ Down South, Black Heroes) bluenote.com/artists/bobby-hutcherson | Gil-Scott Heron (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Who’ll Pay Reparations On My Soul?, Late Last Night) gilscottheron.net | Ibrahim Maalouf (Alf Leila Wa Leila - Introduction) ibrahimmaalouf.com—Special thanks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Deborah Morales, Audy & Janice. Thirsty Tiger TV: Valerie Chow, Angie, Alessandro, Wayne, Scott & Tim. Panoply: Brendan & Andy. The Nation: Frank Reynolds. Produced by Dan Bloom. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lawrence Phillips was a phenomenal football talent, a back-to-back National Champion at the University of Nebraska and a top NFL draft pick in 1996. But a childhood marred by trauma and violence undercut Phillips’ promise of a fruitful life. Despite his obvious athletic gifts, a pattern of disturbing off-field behavior pushed Phillips out of the league and into legal trouble. In 2008, Lawrence Phillips entered Kern Valley State Prison. He would never get to see the outside again. In January of 2015, while awaiting trial for the alleged murder of his cell-mate, Phillips was found dead in his cell - a suspected suicide. Today, Dave Zirin seeks clarity and lessons from the tragic life of Lawrence Phillips. Our guests are Damon Benning, a Cornhusker teammate of Phillips and a current radio host in Lincoln, Howard University Professor Christian-Dotson Pierson, and Neil Irvin, Executive Director of ‘Men Can Stop Rape.’Zirin article: “Who Killed Lawrence Phillips?” http://www.thenation.com/article/who-killed-lawrence-phillips/Edge of Sports homepage http://edgeofsportspodcast.comhttp://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://fb.com/edgeofsports | email edgeofsports@slate.com Damon Benning twitter http://twitter.com/damonbenningMen Can Stop Rape http://mencanstoprape.org | Neil Irvin twitter http://twitter.com/mcsr_nirvinChristian Dotson-Pierson twitter http://twitter.com/profcdpMusic: Hide & Seek by WTCHCRFT http://soundcloud.com/wtchcrft2 | Blankets by Swell http://soundcloud.com/swll | 808s and birthday cake by Tim Legend http://soundcloud.com/timlegend Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy