Edge of Sports

Episode 242: BOOM! Dave has another fantastic show for you this week, right ahead of MLK Jr. Weekend. Dave and Coach explain how the great Civil Rights leader felt about sports. Then, Coach introduces the first edition of “Zirin’s Zingers” as he peppers Dave with loads of questions that he did not prepare for ahead of time. Everything from the NFL’s Rooney Rule to Kobe’s assertion that the Spurs won the NBA title because of foreign talent. Michael X Ferraro, author of Circus Catch, details his satire on the world of sports (sorry, Cleveland, you still can’t win). Hear a nice tribute to the late writer, Mike Marquesee who penned the book that inspired Dave to be the writer he is today, Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties.

Episode 241: BOOM! Dave is back for 2015 and we’ve got exactly what you expect. A great show! Comic Hari Kondabolu explains why the Charlie Hedbo attacks in Paris should not be seen as black and white. It’s not just about the cartoon. It’s not just about Islamophobia. International Business Times columnist David Sirota details the sketchy relationship between Chris Christie and the NFL. The gang gives you NFL playoff picks for the toss-up games.

Episode 240: BOOM! Dave, Coach, Mark and special in-studio guest-host Shireen Ahmed discuss another week where sports and politics met head on! From Roger Goodell’s complete mishandling domestic abuse in the NFL to the emergence of athlete activism, especially with the “I Can’t Breathe” T-Shirts worn by top athletes around the world. ESPN’s Howard Bryant weighs in about the importance of people in sports -- writers and athletes alike -- speaking out for justice. Pete Ahern is leading a petition to get Dr. John Carlos and Tommie Smith into the International Olympic Committee and discusses why on the show.

Episode 239: Dave and Coach try to do the impossible: Have a conversation about race. Dave explains the difference between something being racist and someone being racist. Something being racialized and someone being racist. They touch on the St. Louis Rams protest and the messages of Deon Long, wide receiver at the University of Maryland, and Ariyana Smith of Knox College. Jamilah King from Colorlines joins the show to update the Edge of Sports community on the protests going on in NYC. Dave and Coach remember the late Bryan Burwell.

Episode 238: BOOMSHAKALAKA! Dave, Coach, and Mark welcome back Richard Kent to break down UConn’s loss to Stanford. The guys debate whether or not the Kentucky Wildcats could really beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, hear what Coach, Mark, and Dave have to say about RGIII and the Washington Football Team. Finally, Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated baseball scribe and author of Pete Rose: An American Dilemma, dishes on Rose’s absence from the Hall of Fame along with other greats like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Episode 327: BOOM! A great show this week for you. Dave and Coach debate Derrick Rose’s latest comments about keeping an eye on the future as he play basketball now. Richard Kent, college basketball guru, previews the Women’s and Men’s NCAA Basketball season. Jamilah King, senior editor of Colorlines.com, explains the importance of the upcoming Facing Race convention, which will cover the connectivity of sports and society. Thoughts on “Rand University” 30 for 30.

Episode 326: BOOM! We have a fantastic show for you this week! Dave, Coach, and Mark play courtroom and take Roger Goodell to task as if he was under oath in front of them. Then, Michael O’Keeffe of the New York Daily News updates you on the latest in the Alex Rodriguez PED saga. Vice Sports’ Patrick Hruby explains why Dan Snyder isn’t as dumb as you might think. Finally, get Dave and Coach’s way-too-early take on the start to the NBA season.

Episode 325: BOOM! The World Series is over but Edge of Sports carries onward and upward. Three fantastic guests join Dave and Coach. First, hear from PBS News Hour’s William Brangham who is researching the dangers of head injuries...in soccer. Former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks, a member of the NFL’s 1980’s All-Decade team, explains the true nature of the problem of saying someone isn’t “black enough.” Finally, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill senior Omololu Refilwe Babatunde, a Geography and African-American and Diaspora Studies major, details why she helped form the ‘Real Silent Sam Coalition’ amongst the recent grade-fixing scandal at the sports-rich university.

Episode 324: BOOM! The NBA season is about to begin and with that, Dave, Coach, Mark, and Dan have all the predictions you need to hear! Will it be the San Antonio Spurs vs the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals? Does LeBron James take home the MVP? Who’s the favorite for Rookie of the Year? The Edge of Sports crew has all the answers! And with the World Series tied at one game apiece, MLB guru, Ben Shapiro breaks down the first two games and tells you how it will pan out.

Episode 323: BOOM! Dave, Coach, and “Mean” Mark discuss the Jameis Winston autograph scandal and tell us which famous athlete from his hometown is turning his back on the Florida State quarterback. They then speak to Charles Modiano and Chantal DeVaughn about a protest at the St. Louis Rams Monday Night Football Game that ESPN refused to cover. Finally, our man Sekou Smith of the NBA.com’s “Hangtime Blog” tells Dave how ridiculous his preseason predictions are in another edition of “Am I Crazy?”

Episode 322: BOOM! Dave, Coach, and “Mean” Mark delve into the recent news out of Ferguson, Missouri and the the protests that occurred at a St. Louis Cardinals game. The fellas debate the merit of guilt by association and explain how sports truly are a mirror of society at large. Finally, it’s hockey season! Seriously, it started! Geoff Millard, Edge of Sports hockey savant, previews the NHL season and gives you his pre-season picks to win the Stanley Cup.

Episode 321: BOOM! Dave illustrates why Steve Smith of the Baltimore Ravens makes him love professional sports. Shereen Ahmed, VICE Sports writer, covers the ridiculous FIBA rule preventing players from wearing anything on their head. Finally, Brian Frederick, author of “Upset! How Sports Fans Beat the NFL and Ended the Sports Blackout Rule” details how fans beat the NFL and changed the blackout rule policy. Finally, Mark and Coach weigh in on the Michigan Football situation.

Episode 320: BOOM! Dave is back in studio, and he’s bringing a packed showed with him. Today, Coach, Mean Mark, and Dave are joined by NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith to hear his take and response on all of the wrongdoings that have recently occurred in the NFL. They also try connect the dots between head injuries and the abuse that has put a cloud over the NFL and whether or not the the league could survive a possible connection between the their two biggest problems. Coach also delivers a powerful speech on how these issues are only worsening the terrible stereotype of the violent black man in our country.

Episode 319: BOOM! Dave’s writing a book on Jim Brown with the great Jim Brown, so Coach, Mark, and D.C. Dan have taken over the show once again! They debate how much criticism Jameis Winston really deserves. SLAM Senior Editor Tzvi Twersky joins the guys to discuss the 2014 FIBA World Cup and tells you why the New Orleans Pelicans could surprise a lot of people (hint: Anthony Davis is really, really, good). Finally, it would be a true hiatus from Dave if he didn’t call in, and he lays the hammer down on Roger Goodell and the NFL.

Episode 318: BOOM! Dave, Mark, and Coach cover the biggest story in sports and politics -- even bigger than the NFL itself -- the Roger Goodell denial of seeing the Ray Rice video. Dave explains what he has learned from how insensitive everyone has been to Janay Palmer to the victims of domestic violence. Super Bowl Champion and Houston Radio Host Ted Johnson joins the program to discuss how the culture of football lends itself to domestic violence and tells you if Goodell should be fired or not.