About this episode
This episode features an interview with sports journalist Dave Zirin discussing the intersection of sports and political issues.
Spoiler alert. This episode has nothing to do with the Eurasian Knot’s usual fare. Dave Zirin was speaking at the University of Pittsburgh. Zirin is one of the few sports journalists on the political left. I’ve been a long-time fan. I’m also a sports fan, especially basketball. So, when I was offered an interview, I grabbed my digital recorder. And Dave, though exhausted, was gracious enough to talk. The result is a wide ranging discussion of key issues in the sports world–politics, labor, race, gambling, transgender athletes, this summer’s World Cup in the shadow of Trump’s ICE, and Dave’s forthcoming biography of Howard Zinn. Give it a listen even if you aren’t into sports. As Dave emphasizes, sports cannot be separated from the political, social, and economic issues of our times. Guest: Dave Zirin is the sports editor at The Nation, the author of eleven books on the politics of sports and host of The Edge of Sports podcast. His most recent book is The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World published by New Press. His next book, The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn , will be published in August 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…
People in this episode
Guest: Dave Zirin
Topics covered
- sports
- politics
- labor
- race
- gambling
- transgender athletes
- World Cup
Keywords
- sports journalism
- politics
- labor
- race
- transgender athletes
- World Cup
- Dave Zirin
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Nation
Books & works: The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World, The People's Historian: The Outsized Life of Howard Zinn
Places: University of Pittsburgh
More episodes of The Eurasian Knot
- Anastas Mikoyan · June 10, 2026 · 50 min
- Soviet Holocaust Literature · June 4, 2026 · 54 min
- The Russian Paradox · May 27, 2026 · 51 min
- Kurt Vonnegut in the USSR · May 18, 2026 · 51 min
- The Post-Soviet Human Condition · May 11, 2026 · 1h 9m
- Bye, Bye Orban · May 4, 2026 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Eurasian Knot podcast page.