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Artwork for Edge of Sports
NBA
New York Knicks
Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks
Social Justice
College Football
NFL
Basketball
Lebron James
Eastern Conference
Detroit Pistons
Western Conference
Unionization
Baseball Movies
Cleveland Cavaliers
Philadelphia 76ers
Baseball
Labor Rights
USA Men's Basketball
Cultural Identity

Where sports and politics collide, hosted by Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes442Founded18 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSportsPolitics

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Artwork for Edge of Sports

Latest Episodes

This week, we speak to the great bestselling author Dr. Eddie Glaude about his new book America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries.” We also speak to Hoops Savant Arya Shirazi about the Knicks-Spurs NBA finals. 

From Brunson to Wem... more

This week, we talk to Karim Zidan from Sports Politika about his new podcast, Power Plays, which delves into the relationship between authoritarian governments and FIFA’s World Cup. We also talk to Ben Gucciardi on the 20th anniversary of the incredi... more

This week, we talk to hoops and cinema savant Arya Shirazi about the world of pro basketball and movies the world loves that we could do without.

Zirin, WNBA Players Should Have Picketed, Not Attended, the Met Gala

www.thenation.com/article... more

This week, we talk to Professor Austin McCoy about his incredible new book, Living in a D.A.I.S.Y. Age, which explores the seminal rap trio De La Soul. We talk about the group, its records from Three Feet High and Rising to their most recent release ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Eddie Glaude
Professor at Princeton, author
Princeton University
Episode: How Racism Shadows the 250th with Eddie Glaude... and The Knicks!
Karim Zidan
Journalist from Sports Politika, host of Power Plays series
Sports Politika
Episode: Soccer’s Shadow And Sunlight: the fascist history of the World Cup and 20 years of soccer without borders
Ben Gucciardi
Founder of Soccer Without Borders, coach and educator
Soccer Without Borders
Episode: Soccer’s Shadow And Sunlight: the fascist history of the World Cup and 20 years of soccer without borders
Jason Stahl
Founder of the College Football Players Association
College Football Players Association
Episode: How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football
Daniel Loroña
Amnesty International; head of US advocacy on Western Hemisphere issues
Amnesty International
Episode: Protesting The World Cup (And A Cinematic Easter Egg)
Ajamu Baraka
Geopolitical analyst, organizer, founder of Black Alliance for Peace
Black Alliance for Peace
Episode: Protesting The World Cup (And A Cinematic Easter Egg)
Maya Goldberg-Safir
Writer for WNBA Rough Notes
WNBA Rough Notes
Episode: The WNBA Union Scores a Win and Iftar with Mayor Mamdani
Bijan Bayne
Author and screenwriter focused on sports, media, race and power
Independent
Episode: How Rev. Jesse Jackson Understood Sports & a Winter Olympics Round-up
Frankie de la Cretaz
Independent journalist; co-author of Hail Mary; writes Out of Your League newsletter
Independent
Episode: How Rev. Jesse Jackson Understood Sports & a Winter Olympics Round-up

Hosts

Dave Zirin
Host of Edge of Sports; Nation Magazine sports editor; long-time commentator on sports and social justice
Arya Shirazi
Co-host and film critic with a focus on sports culture and cinematic analysis

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 714 ratings
  • left misogyny

    We need podcasts that bring left analysis to sports. Given that, it’s shocking that this pod has little to no representation or analysis of women’s sports (not to mention analysis of the politics of gender and sexuality across sports).

    The relative absence of the WNBA and NWSL — whose players have been on the leading edge of labor movements, BLM, and queer and trans rights — is especially disappointing. Leftists who are cool to reproduce misogyny and heterosexism are not leftists.

    If the gen... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    re:be.k.a
    United States4 months ago
  • Real and refreshingly unique sports talk

    Dave Zirin is an essential journalist in sports landscape all too littered with pablum and shiny distractions—he tells the perspectives and shares voices that few others will.

    But one pro tip, Dave: update the links in your podcast notes! The link for your website goes to your old, outdated site. And add your Patreon URL so that more people can support you!

    And lastly, all the complainers need to sit down: this podcast is published by The Nation and just a couple episode titles will tell you w... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    redwallmuriel
    United Statesa year ago
  • Real and refreshingly unique sports talk

    Dave Zirin is an essential journalist in sports landscape all too littered with pablum and shiny distractions—he tells the perspectives and shares voices that few others will. And come on people: this is published by The Nation, so don’t even try to complain about the politics!

    But one pro tip, Dave: update the links in your podcast notes! The link for your website goes to your old, outdated site…. And add your Patreon URL so that more people can support you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    redwallmuriel
    United Statesa year ago
  • The Best!

    Dave Zirin is the best sports historian and journalist. He’s truthful, dynamic and incredibly intelligent! Huge fan!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WordVader
    United States2 years ago
  • where are women’s sports?

    For all the great political edge and value of this podcast, it’s a bummer that it has such little representation or analysis of women’s sports. The relative absence of the WNBA and NWSL is especially disappointing (and arguably hypocritical). If the gender balance of coverage were improved, this podcast would level up so much.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    lrh103
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience responds positively to diverse, activist-minded guests and rigorous cultural critique.
Listeners praise the show for its rigorous linking of sports to politics and social justice.
Critiques often center on pacing or advertising load, but praise quality and depth of discussion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#215
Colombia/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Soccer’s Shadow And Sunlight: the fascist history of the World Cup and 20 years of soccer without borders
Q: What sparked your interest in the politicization of international football and the World Cup?
I grew up in Egypt, where football intersected with politics early on, and I saw how the government and fan movements interacted in the stands, which shaped my view that sports are inherently political and can empower people or be used to suppress them.
How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football
Q: What critique does the guest offer of the White House roundtable and executive orders?
The guest argues that those events were performative and did not include players at the table, lacked enforceable legal power, and failed to push through durable changes like a real federal bill that would create a unionization pathway for athletes.
How Unionization Can Solve the Crisis in College Football
Q: What is the basic thrust of the current push for unionization in college football?
The core idea is to recognize college athletes as employees with bargaining rights, moving toward a formal collective bargaining agreement that provides protections, revenue sharing, health and safety standards, and a sustainable framework beyond the current ad hoc NIL system.
Protesting The World Cup (And A Cinematic Easter Egg)
Q: What issues is Amnesty seeing with the current staging of the Cup?
Amnesty highlights three main concerns: the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, discriminatory immigration policies and deportation risks, and LGBTQI rights, plus labor rights and displacement in North America as broader contextual issues.
How Rev. Jesse Jackson Understood Sports & a Winter Olympics Round-up
Q: What role did Jackson's sports history play in his civil rights work and leadership?
The guest outlines how Jackson leveraged athletic prestige, institutional leadership roles, and personal charisma to bridge sports, activism, and community organizing across generations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Edge of Sports

What is Edge of Sports about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A discussion-driven show at the intersection of sports, politics, and culture, often blending sharp sports analysis with social justice perspectives. Episodes frequently tackle labor rights in athletics, governance and ethics in major sports events, and representation and inclusion across leagues, while peppering in cultural critiques of films and pop culture touchstones. Noteworthy traits include a consistent emphasis on player empowerment, advocacy, and independent journalism, plus a guest roster that spans union organizers, historians, athletes, authors, and filmmakers. This mix makes the show a compelling listen for audiences who want rigorous sports discourse that doesn't shy away from political and social context, along with thoughtfu... more

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1. The Nation Podcasts
2. The Intercept Briefing
3. Ralph Nader Radio Hour
4. Democracy Now! Audio
5. Jacobin Radio

How many episodes of Edge of Sports are there?

Edge of Sports launched 18 years ago and published 442 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Edge of Sports?

Recent guests on Edge of Sports include:

1. Eddie Glaude
2. Karim Zidan
3. Ben Gucciardi
4. Jason Stahl
5. Daniel Loroña
6. Ajamu Baraka
7. Maya Goldberg-Safir
8. Bijan Bayne

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